The Ethos Project, embedded in the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, is built on a clear premise: today’s engineers need more than technical skills. They need empathy, ethical grounding, and a deep understanding of their own identities and their impact on society. Ethos works to infuse humanitarian values and citizen-centric design into the undergraduate experience for engineering and computer science students, helping them see themselves not just as builders of technology but as contributors to societal change.

The project operates through several interconnected initiatives that span a student’s full undergraduate journey. Freshman Academy brings all first-semester engineering and computer science students together with faculty and near-peer mentors to design solutions for the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges. Engineering Moment, a short-form podcast series, builds professional identity and social responsibility. Engineers Engaging Community places students in public speaking roles across diverse communities, reinforcing that engineering practice is always embedded in a larger social context. And The Good Life facilitates discussions between undergraduate and graduate students about the ethical dimensions of their professions. Running through all of these is RE3 (Re-Engineering Engineering Education), a storytelling program in which upperclassmen share their personal journeys of identity and growth with first-year students. The results are striking: after RE3 sessions, 95% of first-year students agreed that student stories are valuable, 93% said the session helped them connect with peers, and 84% said it encouraged them to explore and articulate their own identities.