Founded in 1970 at Cleveland State University, the Order of the Engineer was established “to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession, to bridge the gap between training and experience, and to present to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer.”

This April, Case Western Reserve has initiated their chapter with 79 inductees who received a stainless steel ring to be worn on their fifth finger of their working hand, signifying their obligation to being an ethical engineer. At the induction ceremony, inductees recited the Obligation of an Engineer, and were called one-by-one to the front of the room where they placed their hand through a large stainless steel ring before their own ring placed on the pinky finger of their working hand. 

Membership is open to anyone with an engineering degree or those within two semesters of earning their engineering degree. Unlike many groups, the Order of the Engineer does not require meeting attendance or dues, but focuses on fostering “a unity of purpose and the honoring of one’s pledge lifelong.”

“We have been simply thrilled with the response that starting the Order of the Engineer at CWRU has generated from faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” Kathy Harper, Assistant Director, Roger E. Susi First-year Engineering Experience, and Sunniva Collins, Associate Dean for Professional Programs, shared. “We are looking forward to seeing the ceremonial ring displayed in Nord Hall as a sign of the Case School of Engineering’s commitment to the ethics of the engineering profession.”