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RCEL Ethics Panel
February 17, 2020 @ 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Join RCEL and a special guest panel to discuss the role of ethics and leadership for engineers in the real world, and how ideals affect engineering decisions and innovations. Attendees will be able to ask questions and participate in the discussion.
A reception will follow.
This year’s panel includes:
Alisa S. Max, P.E.
Chief Operations Officer
Harris County Engineering Department
Alisa S. Max, P.E. has nearly 30 years’ experience practicing engineering in Texas, in both the public and private sector. She currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer of the Harris County Engineering Department. In her prior role as the General Services Division Manager, she managed multiple offices including the Harris County Permits Office and the Watershed Protection Group. She has served in leadership roles within the Engineering Department related to Harris County recovery efforts following major storm events dating back to Hurricane Ike, including most recently serving as Engineering’s Deputy Incident Commander for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. Alisa has worked on Harris County Engineering Department statewide legislative initiatives in Austin over the last several sessions, striving to make our community more resilient. She is a Civil Engineering graduate of Rice University and a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas.
C. Fred Higgs III, Ph.D.
Faculty Director
Rice Center for Engineering Leadership
Dr. C. Fred Higgs III joined RCEL as Faculty Director on July 1, 2016 following an international search, and was named Vice Provost for Academic Affairs for Rice University in 2018. He holds a joint appointment as the John and Ann Doerr Professor Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Higgs earned a B.S. in MECH from Tennessee State University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He joined Carnegie Mellon 2003, where he headed the Particle Flow and Tribology Lab. In 2016, Professor Higgs was named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), which in 2010 had presented him with the Burt L. Newkirk Award for researchers under the age of 40 who have made notable contributions in tribology. In 2007 he received a NSF CAREER Young Investigator Award, and in 2013 he received Carnegie Mellon’s top engineering teaching honor. Dr. Higgs enjoys “working with the RCEL team to develop tomorrow’s ethical, emotionally intelligent engineering leaders who will enter the workforce ready to deliver innovative products and technologies.”
Nathaniel Richards
Founder and CEO
Entrance Consulting
Nate has over 18 years of software engineering and consulting experience. He founded Entrance in 2003. Nate is the past President of the Board of LifeHouse Houston, a Christ-centered maternity home ministry, and is past Executive committee member and Treasurer of Houston Achievement Place, a foster care and social skills training non-profit organization.
Ebony Wiley
Leadership Initiatives
Rice Center for Engineering Leadership
Former Executive Applications Engineering Leader, GE
Ebony Wiley joined the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership in January 2020 after 18 years at General Electric with extensive experience in defining strategic goals, collaborating with stakeholders and identifying new business opportunities. Her experience leading global engineering teams in customer negotiations, proposal development and commercial operations makes her a great fit for RCEL. Her most recent role was Executive Application Engineering Leader at GE Aero derivatives. Previously, she held key international leadership assignments as Global Proposal Development Manager, Applications Engineering Leader, Senior Product Manager, Operations and Initiatives Leader. Ebony is a proven change agent who is known for providing innovative solutions for clients while setting vision, developing talent, and making data driven decisions.