Students explored manufacturing career paths through hands-on experiences with cutting-edge technology
September 25, 2026
On Friday, September 25, around 225 high school students from across the Capital Region participated in the 16th annual Manufacturing Day event at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). The event gave students a firsthand look at manufacturing education, research, and technology at RPI, while introducing them to the wide range of career paths available in the field.
“Manufacturing has been an important part of RPI’s history, and it continues to be an important part of our future,” said Shekhar Garde, Ph.D., the Thomas R. Farino Jr. ’67 and Patricia E. Farino Dean of the School of Engineering. “This event is a great chance for us to get young people excited about the opportunities in manufacturing and show them that there is a place for their interests and talents in this field.”
Offering a firsthand look at advanced manufacturing in action, a Black Hawk helicopter landed on RPI’s ’86 Field to start the day.
Participants then attended a panel discussion hosted by Ryan Patry, ’00, ’08G, a Lockheed Martin Fellow in manufacturing technology at Sikorsky Aircraft, featuring RPI students majoring in fields like mechanical and biomedical engineering.
Attendees also had a chance to tour RPI manufacturing facilities -- including the Mercer XLab, the Manufacturing Innovation Learning Laboratory, the Student Machine Shop, and the Robotics Lab – and to hear from RPI student organizations including the Forge, the Robotics Club, Rensselaer Motorsport, and Design Build Fly at their manufacturing exhibit fair. Tool manufacturer Snap-on also gave tours of its Rock and Roll Truck.
“Manufacturing is something you really have to experience to appreciate,” said Sam Chiappone, director of RPI’s Manufacturing Innovation and Learning Lab. “By bringing high school students into our labs, connecting them with RPI students and industry professionals, and giving them a look at the technologies used to make everything from aerospace systems to advanced electronics, we hope they leave with a better understanding of what a career in manufacturing can look like.”