He joined RIT in 2006 as a tutor in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree from Purdue University. Slifka's research interests focus on changing the manner in which engineering students are taught. Additionally, he feels it is important that today's students understand the influence they can have in tomorrow's world. He works to instill a passion to change current products and technologies for better or new uses, breaking currently accepted paradigms and creating new ones.