March 3, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Kim Case

908.875.7167/ kcase@rdnj.org

New Jersey STEM Month March 2025 Kicks Off 

New Jersey Celebrates Eight Years of STEM Excellence with Shark Tank and Biotech!

Chatham, NJ – On Friday, February 28, 2025, the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network (NJSPN) kicked off NJ STEM Month at Genmab in Plainsboro. For the eighth year in a row, March is recognized as NJ STEM Month as designated by Governor Murphy via gubernatorial proclamation. NJ STEM Month, (“Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics”) is a celebration co-hosted by the NJSPN and its parent organization, the Research & Development Council of New Jersey. The goal of NJ STEM Month 2025 is to highlight STEM in innovation, education and the workforce, and to impact 65,000 learners through STEM activities and events. Anyone hosting a STEM event in March is encouraged to add it to NJ STEM Month 2025 tracker using this form so it can count towards the learner goal.

The Kickoff event was generously hosted by Genmab, an international biotech company specializing in antibody therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases, with opening remarks from Kelly Ragins, Senior Vice President, Head of Development Operations.  Drawing 100 STEM leaders from diverse organizations across the state, the Kickoff commenced with a reading of the 2025 Gubernatorial Proclamation read via video by students from McManus Middle School from the City of Linden.  The keynote speaker was edtech company leader, Lectec CTO Luke St. Amand, who spoke about his journey from science avoider to his recent Shark Tank appearance seeking an investor. Attendees also had the opportunity to visit with event presenters including American Water, Brainy n Bright, Eduscape, Lectec, Mathematics for Innovation, New Jersey 4-H, STEM Like a Girl, Students 2 Science and TCNJ Environmental Sustainability Education. Attendees also walked away with STEM Month swag. 

“We are ecstatic to be in our eighth year celebrating March as New Jersey STEM Month. NJ STEM Month has impacted over 250,000 learners over the years and we are eager to continue to expand its reach and get more learners of all ages excited about and engaged with STEM.”  said Kim Case, Executive Director of the R&D Council of NJ and New Jersey STEM Pathways Network Manager.  “We thank Governor Murphy and New Jersey legislators for being so supportive of this initiative.  We look forward to our STEM Showcase at the New Jersey State House on March 27!”

The event also recognized the success of NJ STEM Month’s mini-grant initiative, which awards grants of up to $500 to support STEM events throughout March. In 2025, a total of $25,849 in mini-grants were distributed, benefiting learners across 19 counties. Generous support from the Overdeck Family Foundation and American Water made these grants possible. 

The Kickoff closed with the announcement of the 2025 NJ STEM Month award winners. These awards are open to all stakeholders responsible for STEM learning, advocacy and leadership in the state, including: schools, higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, businesses, etc. Below are this year’s NJ STEM Month award winners: 

• STEM Advocate of the Year: Jaimee Diogo, STEM Like a Girl
• STEM Civic Leadership Award: Joseph Burns, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center
• STEM Collaboration of the Year:  Union College of Union County
• STEM Corporate Champion of the Year: AT&T
• STEM Educator of the Year: Halil Ozer, Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School

NJ STEM Month events will continue throughout the month including the Research & Development Council of New Jersey’s webinar on “Misinformation in Science” on March 25th at noon.  You can register here.  Webinar experts include Rutgers Communications Professor Dr. Laura Feldman, Physicist and New Jersey State Senator Dr. Andrew Zwicker, and American Association for the Advancement of Science Chief Program Officer Julia MacKenzie.  Dr. Feldman was a member of the committee that generated the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report “Addressing and Understanding Misinformation in Science“ published in December 2024. *****************************************************************************

The NJSPN was created in 2014 and is managed by the Research & Development Council for New Jersey. It includes over 800 STEM leaders from across the State and connects all STEM stakeholders-K-12, higher education, non-profit, informal providers, business, philanthropists and government. NJSPN has eight STEM learning ecosystems as part of an international network of ecosystems. You can learn more about the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network, New Jersey’s STEM Ecosystems, and NJ STEM Month by visiting www.njstempathways.org.

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