Nearly 130 Seniors and Alumni Take Order of the Engineer Oath

Nine college students pose for a photo with their hands together in a circle. Image by Ed Brennen
Francis College of Engineering seniors show off their new rings after taking the Order of the Engineer oath during a ceremony at University Crossing.

02/26/2025
By Ed Brennen

Engineers face more than just technical challenges; they must also navigate complex ethical dilemmas that impact lives. Whether they’re designing bridges, medical devices or artificial intelligence systems, engineers have to balance safety, sustainability, privacy and other concerns with the realities of budgets and deadlines.

With these professional responsibilities in mind, nearly 130 seniors and alumni from UMass Lowell’s Francis College of Engineering took part in the recent Order of the Engineer induction ceremony at University Crossing.

The Order of the Engineer is a national association that emphasizes pride and responsibility in the profession. The association started in the United States in 1970, and UML has been a member for the past 36 years.

“It is a testament to our commitment to integrity and ethics in engineering,” said Dean of Engineering James Sherwood.

Two men in suits smile while sitting in chairs on a stage during a talk at a college. Image by Ed Brennen
Engineering Dean James Sherwood, left, and plastics engineering alum Ho-Seon Jin '92, senior director of engineering at Eli Lilly, share a laugh on stage during the Order of the Engineer ceremony.
The ceremony featured a Q&A with keynote speaker Ho-Seon Jin ’92, senior director of engineering at Eli Lilly. Jin, who earned his doctoral degree in plastics engineering from UMass Lowell, shared his journey from South Korea to the U.S. and how his education shaped his career.

“I was very lucky to learn from energetic, passionate professors in the plastics engineering department and a strong international community at UMass Lowell,” he said. “Networking opportunities with faculty and alumni were invaluable throughout my career.”

Jin, who joined Eli Lilly in his 60s, advised students to never stop learning, embrace challenges and learn from failure.

“Your first job experience will impact your entire career,” he said. “Don’t just meet minimum requirements — go beyond them. Learning should be a way of life.”

Chancellor Julie Chen congratulated the inductees and emphasized the importance of the engineering oath, which she likened to the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors.

College students sitting in a crowd raise their right hands while taking an oath. Image by Ed Brennen
Engineering students take the Order of the Engineer oath at University Crossing.
“As an engineer, there will be difficult situations where it’s not always obvious what is right. There are things that you will have a responsibility to design, to produce, to give green lights on, to give red lights on,” she said. “This is an opportunity for you to reflect and remember what your responsibility is, because we’re all part of a bigger society.”

During the ceremony, plastics engineering alum Kyle Puleo ’20, a research and development engineer at medical equipment manufacturer Haemonetics, read the history of the order and the significance of the stainless steel ring that each inductee received.

Senior nuclear engineering major Alyssa Puglisi then led the group in reciting the Obligation of the Engineer. 


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