Dr. Carlos Bertha is an Adjunct Professor for the College of Policy, Ethics, Legal Studies, and Public Safety at Saint Petersburg College. He earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Florida, in 1989. After a five-year tenure with the Savannah District Corps of Engineers, he returned to USF to pursue a Ph.D. in Philosophy.
Dr. Bertha's academic career took him to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he taught from 2000 until his retirement in 2024. As a Tenured Professor of Philosophy, he instructed courses in Ethics, Analytic Philosophy, Comparative Religion, Philosophy of Science, and various electives.
His research centers on engineering ethics, with a particular emphasis on ethics pedagogy—exploring methods to effectively teach ethics to engineering students. He co-authored "Engineering Ethics: Real World Case Studies" (ASCE Press, 2017) with Drs. Steve Starrett and Amy Lara and has presented at numerous ASCE and academic conferences on topics such as case study methodology and the professional obligations of engineers.
In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Bertha retired from the US Army Reserve in 2019 as a Colonel. He served a combat tour with the US Army Corps of Engineers in Gardez, Afghanistan, and was an instructor for the Command and General Staff Officers Course, focusing on organizational leadership, joint doctrine, and professional ethics. His final assignment was as Deputy Commander of the Army EPLO Group under the 76th Operational Response Command in Salt Lake City, Utah
