Meadowcreek Golf Course 17th Hole Erosion and Drainage Redesign; The Ethics of the Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 Through a Duty Ethics Lens

My capstone project at Meadowcreek Golf Course in Charlottesville involved designing a stormwater management system to remediate severe erosion and golf course flooding on the 17th hole. Each design decision from designing a step pool conveyance system to sizing an underground pipe carries implicit obligations to protect downstream ecosystems and community wellbeing. To ground these obligations in a rigorous moral framework, my STS research examines the 1919 Boston Molasses Flood through Kant’s duty ethics. By analyzing how ethical failures contributed to that catastrophe, I draw parallels to my own design process, using the principles of universality and reciprocity to ensure that my technical solutions adhere to both engineering standards and moral duties.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Technical Advisor: Teresa Culver

STS Advisor: Benjamin Laugelli

Technical Team Members: Samuel Lauer, Marshall Epperson, Juliana Portugal, Brett Bober, Jesse Cousins, Joe Holland