CSEP Librarian
10 W. 35th Street Chicago, IL 60616
Education
Masters in Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2005)
BA English, Wellesley College (2004)
About
Kelly Laas is the Librarian and Ethics Instructor at the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (CSEP) at the Illinois Institute of Technology. During her sixteen years at CSEP, she has supervised a number of projects relating to the development of online ethics resources and collections, including the management of CSEP’s large Ethics Codes Collection. She is currently collaborating with the National Academy of Engineering’s Center for Engineering, Ethics and Society in developing bibliographies and other materials for the Online Ethics Center, as well as developing the Ethics Education Library, an online database of articles, syllabi, ethics case studies, and best practices of how to integrate ethics into existing technical courses and workshops. Along with coordinating the Center's funded projects, Ms. Laas also collaborates with Illinois Tech faculty in engineering, science, social sciences, and business schools to help integrate ethics into existing courses. Laas has served as the Upper Midwest regional representative for the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl and has helped organize the Chicago High School Regional Ethics Bowl for the past nine years. She received her MLS in 2005 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is a member of the College and Research Libraries division of the American Library Association. She is also secretary of the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization, an associate editor for the journal Accountability in Research, and managing editor for Precollege Philosophy and Public Practice (P4).
Recent Publications
Laas, Kelly, Stephanie Taylor, Christine Z. Miller, Eric M. Brey & Elisabeth Hildt (2021). “Views on ethical issues in research labs: A university-wide survey.” Accountability in Research, DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2021.1910503
Laas, Kelly, Michael Davis, and Elisabeth Hildt. Codes of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines: Emerging Technologies, Changing Fields. Springer International Publishing.
Hildt, Elisabeth, Kelly Laas, and Monika Sziron. (eds.) (2020). Brain-Based and Artificial Intelligence: Socio-ethical Conversations in Computing and Neurotechnology. [Topical Collection]. Science and Engineering Ethics.
Laas, Kelly, Christine Miller, Eric Brey, Elisabeth Hildt, and Stephanie Taylor. “Infusing Ethics in Research Groups: A bottom-up, context-specific approach.” Advances in Engineering Education. 8(3).
Hildt, Elisabeth, Kelly Laas, Christine Miller, Stephanie Taylor and Eric Brey. (2019). “Empowering Graduate Students to Address Ethics in Research Environment.” Cambridge Quarterly of HealthCare Ethics. 28(3): 542-550.
Davis, Michael, Elisabeth Hildt, and Kelly Laas. (2016). Twenty-five Years of Ethics Across the Curriculum: An Assessment. Teaching Ethics. (online first) doi: 10.5840/tej201633028
Davis, Michael and Kelly Laas. (2014). “Broader Impacts" or "Responsible Research and Innovation"? A Comparison of Two Criteria for Funding Research in Science and Engineering.” Science and Engineering Ethics. 20(4): 963-983. DOI: 10.1007/s11948-013-9480-1
Brey, Eric, David Gatchell, Kelly Laas, and Vivian Weil. AC2011-2272: A Student-Centered Course for Integration of Ethics into a Biomedical Engineering Research Experience for Undergraduates. Presentation at the American Society for Engineering Education, 2011.
Laas, Kelly. “Taking a Proactive Approach Towards Responsibility: Indications of NanoEthics and Policy Making Around the World” Annales d’Economie et Statistique. No. 115/116: 255-275.
Laas, Kelly and Vivian Weil. “NanoEthicsBank” in Guston, David H. (ed) Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2011. Pp. 482.
Grant Awards
- Co-PI, National Science Foundation. “Transforming Ethics Education: Connecting STEM Faculty, Research Administrators, and Ethics Education Resources through the Online Ethics Center. $1,750,000. (Illinois Tech sub-award: $152,000). Award # 1835232. 2019-2023.
- Co-PI, National Science Foundation. “A Bottom-Up Approach to Building a Culture of Responsible Research and Practice in STEM.” Award # 1635661. $335,000. 2016-2019.
- Co-PI, MacArthur Foundation. “Redesigning the Ethics Codes Collection. $200,000. 2016-2018.
- Sub-award Manager. National Science Foundation. “Becoming the Online Resource Center for Ethics Education in Engineering and Science.” $1,799,999,00 (Illinois Tech sub-award: $159,000). 2014-2020.