Commentary: Jack Fry's Interview
Author(s):
P. Aarne Vesilind
There is a big difference between engineering and science,
even though engineers often work in the same environment with
scientists. By their nature and training, engineers seek to
"make things work" or "make knowledge useful." They are far
less likely to seek personal credit, because the true joy in
engineering is watching something happen, creating something
that was not there before.
When Jack presented his seminar to the Chemical Engineering
Department, the engineers in the audience did not care nearly
as much about who did something as they marveled at what was
accomplished. The important thing was the fact that Jack was
able to put it all together, to tell a whole story, even if
parts of it were written by others.
Obviously, Jack should have acknowledged the contributions
of Bob and his mentor, and to fail to do so would have been an
oversight. But the job interview seminar is quite different
from a formal presentation at a national conference, and the
credit given with the concluding slide would be considered
appropriate in these circumstances.
In summary, Jack is not guilty of unethical conduct. The
important lesson to take away from this case, however, is that
acknowledging the contributions of your colleagues does not
subtract from your own work, especially if you are synthesizing
the information and telling the whole story of how you (plural)
"made things work."