Hampton, VA – From February 23 – 25, 2026, Lockheed Martin welcomed students from colleges and universities across the United States to its corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, for the 9th annual Ethics in Engineering Competition. The event, which drew 72 teams of two students and one faculty advisor, challenged participants to find solutions to complex engineering, business, and ethics challenges. Our students demonstrated exceptional ethical reasoning and strategic thinking by securing a spot in the final sixteen (Top 16). They competed among a field of 72 elite colleges and universities, showcasing their ability to handle complex, real-world engineering and operational dilemmas.
The two students who competed were Gerrett Broussard (Junior, Electrical Engineering) and Opel Jones (Senior, Electrical Engineering). Dr. Moses Garuba, Dr. Brian Aufderheide, and Dr. Otsebele Nare supervised the team with assistance from former competitors Breon McCray III and Amia Hubbard acting as player coaches.
This year’s competition centered around a business ethics case focused on balancing artificial intelligence technologies with human-in-the-loop strategies to enhance emergency response and safeguard the critical infrastructure sectors identified by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Hampton University competed against several top universities and advanced to the final 16. In the championship round, Texas A&M University won a closely contested championship match against Pennsylvania State University.
Throughout the two-day event, students had the opportunity to engage with Lockheed Martin engineers, participate in workshops, and explore emerging challenges in Artificial Intelligence. They also experimented with Lockheed Martin’s flight simulators. A keynote address by G.B. Jones, Chief Safety and Security Officer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, on emergency preparedness and critical infrastructure protection, was one of the highlights of the event.
Many students also had the chance to tour notable facilities, including the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Lockheed Martin’s Global Vision Center, Global Emergency Operations Center, and Security Intelligence Center.
The Ethics in Engineering Competition is an annual event hosted by Lockheed Martin in partnership with faculty advisors to emphasize the importance of business ethics in the fast-paced world of technology. By participating in case competitions, college students develop ethical decision-making and prepare for challenges they may face in their future careers.
For more information about the event, visit Lockheed Martin’s Ethics Academic Outreach page.
