Phil Rogofsky

Phil Rogofsky
Maryland STEM Festival
Howard County
https://marylandstemfestival.org/

Phil Rogofsky has always been passionate about making Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) accessible to and inclusive of everyone, regardless of their background. Unlike many, he views advanced manufacturing as a crucial part of the STEM landscape. Advanced manufacturing plays a key role in the aerospace industry, which first ignited Phil’s love for STEM when he, alongside his father, watched Neil Armstrong take his historic first step on the moon. Since that moment, Phil’s dedication to promoting STEM careers has grown to encompass all sectors impacted by STEM, from aerospace to artificial intelligence. This passion ultimately led him to create the Maryland STEM Festival in 2015.  The Festival reaches 30,000 people each year.

Phil focuses on developing events that inspire students to pursue careers in industries like manufacturing and cybersecurity. “One of these initiatives is the Blue-Collar STEM Conference, held at the Community College of Baltimore County the past two years and which is tentatively scheduled for November 16^th at a Baltimore County high school this year. “Manufacturing is a major focus of the conference, which aims to raise awareness about STEM careers that don’t necessarily require a four-year college degree,” he says. “Speakers from manufacturing and other industries discuss career opportunities, salaries, benefits, and job outlooks. The 2024 Festival theme is Engineering: Ideas to reality, the very basis of manufacturing.”

The Conference will feature a job fair and spotlight manufacturers showcased in the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland’s (RMI’s) ‘Artist as Manufacturer showcase, which he recently attended.