Real-time University of Virginia Bus Routes Display System; The Volkswagen Emissions Scandal Through the Lens of Virtue Ethics

Both my technical project and STS research engage with the complexities of transportation systems, focusing on how engineering solutions and ethical considerations intersect. While my technical work centers on building a real-time bus tracking display for the University of Virginia (UVA), my STS research investigates the ethical failures in the transportation industry, exemplified by the Volkswagen emissions scandal. This synthesis explores how technical innovation and ethical responsibility must go hand-in-hand to ensure the success and integrity of engineering projects.
My technical project involved creating a real-time bus tracking system that displays the location of each UVA Transit bus on a map. The project collects, processes, and transmits location data of UVA University Transit Service (UTS) buses to a display board. Additionally, a 7-segment display is used to show how many stops away an incoming bus is for enhanced understandability. I utilized a fundamental and high-level understanding of electrical and computer engineering methodologies and aspects to carry out this technical project. Our goal was to make the bus system more accessible and readable by allowing riders to view real-time bus locations on a physical map, since, at the time, the only way to access bus information was through a mobile application.
My STS research analyzes the Volkswagen emissions scandal, which evaluated its individual moral failings and systemic cultural flaws within the organization through the ethical framework of Virtue Ethics. First, the absence of individual moral virtues such as integrity, mindfulness, and honesty, alongside the promotion of vices like greed and cheating among Volkswagen’s leadership and engineers, directly contributed to the scandal. Senior management intentionally engaged in deceptive practices by prioritizing short-term profits over ethical and legal considerations. Second, a toxic corporate culture driven by corporate greed and an authoritarian leadership style that went unchecked fostered an environment where unethical behavior was normalized and even forced due to overly ambitious corporate goals. This culture of fear, lack of openness to correction, and profit maximization undermined virtues such as fairness, professionalism, and accountability. Together, these factors created a perfect storm for unethical practices–leading to the decisions that cultivated into one of the biggest transportation ethical failures.
Working on these projects concurrently has deepened my appreciation for the dual responsibilities engineers carry: to deliver effective technical solutions and to uphold ethical standards. My technical experience taught me the hardship of integrating hardware and software for real-world applications, while my STS research underscored the far-reaching consequences of neglecting ethical values. For instance, reflecting on the Volkswagen case prompted me to consider how transparency and accountability should guide not only large corporations but also smaller-scale projects like my own. Moving forward, I am committed to integrating ethical reflection into every stage of my engineering work, recognizing that technical excellence and ethical integrity are mutually reinforcing.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering

Technical Advisor: Todd DeLong

STS Advisor: Benjamin Laugelli

Technical Team Members: Kelly Zhou, Zayda Deese, Robel Woldegyorgis, Anthony Nosal