Inside Iowa State
Mar. 06, 1998
Organizers gear up for science fair
by Skip Derra
Once again, science magic will reign in Hilton Coliseum during the Iowa State Science and Technology Fair, March 27- 28. It is the only statewide general science fair for middle and high school students in Iowa.
"The fair is an educational experience," said Sande McNabb, university professor of plant pathology and forestry and chair of the fair's board of directors. "It gives students a chance to develop a research project and to tell and show people what they've done."
Dr. Paula Mahone, one of two doctors who led the medical team in the birth of the McCaughey septuplets at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, will speak at 5 p.m. Friday, March 27, in Hilton.
Entry forms are due March 13 and must include project proposals. All proposals must be developed under the guidance of a teacher or other professional and all projects need to adhere to regulations set by the science fair's committee. Project categories are broadly divided into physical and biological sciences.
Prizes are awarded at the seventh- and eighth-grade levels. High school winners receive scholarships as well as other prizes. Also, state, federal, university and industrial groups make many topical awards.
McNabb said more than $30,000 will be given in awards and scholarships this year. The Iowa Space Grant Consortium again will sponsor a $10,000 four-year tuition grant that can be used at any of the three Iowa state universities or Drake University.
Nearly 450 students from across Iowa participated in the fair last year, the first time ISU hosted the event. Eighty-eight fair awards and approximately 200 special awards were presented to participants.
For more information on the fair or an entry booklet, contact McNabb, 221 Bessey, 4-3120, or access the fair's homepage at www.public.iastate.edu/~smurfdog/ISSTF/.
Looking for few good judges
With the 1998 Iowa State Science and Technology Fair on the horizon, organizers are looking for science fair judges.
Sande McNabb said there is no magic number to the number of judges needed.
"The more people who judge a project, the more comprehensively that project will be scored," McNabb said.
Anyone interested in judging should contact his office, 4- 3120. There will be a workshop for prospective judges from 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, March 11, in 327 Bessey.
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