The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering proudly participates in the Order of the Engineer Ring Ceremony, a national tradition that instills pride, responsibility, and ethical commitment in the profession. During the ceremony, participants take a lifelong pledge to uphold the highest standards of engineering, symbolized by the stainless steel ring worn on the working hand. Our first ceremony was held in 2002, when students and faculty took the oath, inspired by keynote speaker Richard Robbins' reflections on ethics in engineering—and we continue to honor and build on that tradition today.
"You’ve earned a degree that requires a lot of hard work and discipline, and you have done it at a world-class University."
"Our discipline mandates our commitment to the public."
"You guys have had to endure the toughest undergraduate curriculum there is, in my opinion."
"We’re talking about the need to be able to work and communicate with people."
"My younger brothers and sisters, this place is tough! But you have faced this challenge, and soon you will receive your degrees."
"Your education cannot be taken away from you. That’s yours. You’ve earned it; it goes with you. But your reputation, however, is something you will have to continue to earn each and every day."
"The only thing we really have is our reputation. That’s what people remember."
"Seek opportunities to innovate, to be creative."
"Nine times out of ten the issue is not going to be that you didn’t do enough testing, or you don’t have enough information. Very often it will be the case that the facts are there, and they’re inconvenient."
"Your training and the challenges you have faced at Michigan Tech have made you mentally tough and intellectually sharp: forged in the hot furnace of the mechanical and aerospace engineering department, quenched, and tempered until you are a problem-solving piece of high-temper intellectual steel."
"Your reputation is precious. It’s hard to repair, and you must protect it at all costs."
"Don’t confuse what you want the outcome to be with what the reality is."
"There are no limits for those who can hack the drill at this University."
"Never compromise on values that could reflect on your personal integrity and your reputation, or that of your employer."
"As you go through your professional life, there is nothing more important than credibility."
"My advice tonight, Ladies and Gentlemen, my younger brothers and sisters, is to take the next ten years and get as much additional education and real-world experience as you possibly can."
"Ethics are the cornerstone in business, and it doesn’t matter if you’re an engineer, an accountant, a salesperson."
"Furthering your education will give you options that others don’t have: the option to choose and the opportunity to be chosen."
"Do good wherever you go."
"As you go through your professional life, there is nothing more important than credibility."
"I'm the engineer and I've got your back."
"What I was able to experience far exceeded or went beyond any dreams that I had."
"Think about what your values are. Because first and foremost, you must know yourself completely."
"Project a positive attitude. Be direct. Use your ears. Be empathetic. Remain humble. Maintain a sense of humor."
"We really do impact the health and welfare of the people that we work with."
