150+ Students Expected for Weekend Science Fair at DePauw

March 14, 2003

March 14, 2003, Greencastle, Ind. - More than 100 aspiring scientists representing high schools and middle schools throughout the region will converge on DePauw University's Julian Science and Mathematics Center tomorrow for the West Central Indiana Science Fair. It's the third year DePauw has hosted the Fair (previously in 1999 and 2001). The regional fair is open to students from several counties, including Clay, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Vermillion, and Vigo.

Howard Brooks (seen below), professor of physics and astronomy at DePauw, serves as the University's coordinator of the Fair, and says he first became involved in the events [DOWNLOAD VIDEO: "Encouraging Science Students" 1000KB] "when my older son was a 6th grader, we went over to the regional fair in Terre Haute that year. It led to then working with the Science Review Committee, and I've been doing that since 1997," Dr. Brooks notes. "In terms of DePauw's involvement, we've always wanted to encourage science and this gives us an opportunity to have students on our campus." Brooks says the newly-completed atrium of the Julian Center provides "a very attractive place to display all the projects on the upper two levels and have the awards down on the first floor."

A total of 168 students will bring their projects to DePauw Saturday: fifty-five from 5 high schools (Greencastle, Linton-Stockton, Northview, North Vigo, and South Vigo) in the senior division (grades 9-12), and another 113 students with 84 projects from 12 different elementary and middle schools (Chauncey Rose Middle School, Dixie Bee Elementary, Greencastle Middle School, Hickory Hill Academy, Honey Creek Middle School, Otter Creek Middle School, Ouabache Elementary, Sacred Heart of Jesus School, Saint Patrick School, Sarah Scott Middle School, Shakamak, and Woodrow Wilson Middle School) competing in the junior division(grades 5-8). In each division, the students are competing in thirteen different research categories, the most diversified field ever.

[DOWNLOAD VIDEO: "Fascinating Projects" 466KB] "There's some interesting work on modeling in chemistry... there will also be a young man from Greencastle who does a fascinating project on simple little microbiology on small microorganisms and their interactions with the environment," Brooks adds.

Most of the students in the competition have presented their projects at a local fair, and were recognized as being worthy of display at the regional fair. The best two projects in the senior division will earn trips to the International Fair to be held in May in Cleveland, Ohio. Three additional projects from the senior division will be selected to compete at the Indiana Science and Engineering Fair (against similar projects from the other 11 regional fairs) in Indianapolis on April 8. Three projects from the junior division will also be selected for the statewide competition.

Approximately 55 people have been recruited to judge the projects, including professionals in scientific fields, professors and DePauw students. Dr. Brooks estimates that about two-thirds of the judges have a DePauw connection.

The public is invited to view the projects in the Julian Center atrium from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. At 3 o'clock, Robert Ponton, a scientific glassblower from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will demonstrate his craft. Judging of the student projects is scheduled to take place at 4 p.m.

Back