American Society of Mechanical Engineering Student Design Challenge, The Causes, Perpetuation, and Mending of the Relationship Between the University of Virginia and Charlottesville

A study on Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville reveals that engineering projects, while designed to improve society, can inadvertently perpetuate social divisions. The research connects a technical project—a rover tasked with waste collection and sorting—to sociotechnical challenges between the university and the local community. Using Actor Network Theory, the study identifies physical, digital, and economic barriers that have strained this relationship since the university's founding. It also highlights the 2030 Plan as an ongoing effort to address these divisions. The technical project, constrained by the ASME competition, demonstrated the complexity of designing small-scale autonomous systems while emphasizing the need for responsible engineering choices that consider unintended social consequences.

Jones, G. (2026). American Society of Mechanical Engineering Student Design Challenge, The Causes, Perpetuation, and Mending of the Relationship Between the University of Virginia and Charlottesville [University of Virginia]. https://doi.org/10.18130/V940-4706