Williams and White Reach Final Round Among 73 Universities

Alabama A&M University students Chance Williams and Shanel White finished a close second in the Lockheed Martin Ethics in Engineering Case Competition, advancing to the final round against Fairfield University and placing among the top teams in a field of 73 institutions.

The recent competition was held at Lockheed Martin headquarters, in Bethesda, Maryland, where undergraduate teams from across the country analyzed and debated a fictional case centered on complex ethical, business and engineering dilemmas. Each university was represented by a two-student team and a faculty advisor, with participants defending positions in a live, debate-style format.

For this year’s case challenge, students developed a proposed solution for a Command, Control and Communications system known as “NobelNet,” designed to protect U.S. critical infrastructure from a range of adversary threats. The solution was required to meet specifications issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and be delivered in response to a competitive Request for Information.

Williams, a junior computer science major from Woodbridge, Virginia, and White, a junior mechanical engineering major from Raleigh, North Carolina, began preparing shortly after the case was released. Guided by faculty advisor Terry Miller, director of experiential learning and outreach, the team refined its analysis and strengthened its ability to navigate complex ethical decision-making in engineering contexts.

This marked the second time Alabama A&M has sent a team to the national competition, hosted by Lockheed Martin as part of its academic outreach initiative to promote ethics awareness among future engineers and business leaders.

The annual case challenge mirrors real-world scenarios in which professionals must weigh competing priorities, make principled decisions and communicate effectively under pressure. Teams compete for cash prizes awarded in the form of gift cards while gaining valuable experience in critical thinking, teamwork and professional ethics.

“A key part of our preparation was learning how to evaluate both the technical and ethical sides of a complex system like NobelNet while staying aligned with real-world constraints,” said Williams.

White said advancing to the final round affirmed the team’s preparation and perspective. “This experience showed us how critical ethical decision-making is in engineering, especially when solutions can impact national infrastructure and security.”

From left, Shanel White, Chance Williams, Terry Miller