UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING EXPO (DISTRICT SCIENCE FAIR)

Projects from Students in 7 – 12 The Southwest District serves five Ohio counties: Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, Preble and Warren. Takes place on a Saturday in March — March 14, 2009, this year. Must fit with the university’s academic and basketball calendars. 300 to 400 student projects each year.

Thomas A. Cruse, associate provost, is the director of the UC SEE

Goals Encourage studying science, engineering and technology. Make science fun. Bring people to campus. Meet faculty. Make it an event for the entire family. Etc.

SEE Oversight A Steering Committee –consists of representatives of groups at UC involved in the SEE such as campus police, building managers, communications, parking, judging leader, awards chairpersons –meets regularly before the event An Advisory Board –consists mostly of teachers from the schools sending students to the SEE –meets regularly before the event

Awards Students compete for awards and scholarships at the UC SEE (more than $50,000 last year) Approximately 100 projects from the UC SEE advance to the State Science Day in Columbus in May each year. Several projects advance from the UC SEE to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) each year.

What UC Provides Pays the entrance fee for all students who advance from the UC SEE/Southwest District to the Ohio Academy of Sciences’ State Science Day in Columbus. Pays all of the expenses for the students who advance from the UC SEE to the ISEF, which will be held in Reno, Nevada, this-coming year. Provides free parking for everyone involved in the UC SEE.

Student Participants Typically come to the UC SEE after participating in their schools’ science fairs. Register for the UC SEE with the assistance of their teachers, schools and University of Cincinnati personnel. Choose one of 13 categories (e.g., “Physics”) in which they will be judged — this is reviewed by teachers and UC personnel.

Judges Approximately 200 judges participate each year. Judges register in advance either on our Web site ( or with a postage-paid post card. Judges typically are teachers in schools, professionals in industry or from the university communities.

Judges (Continued) Before the event, judges are assigned to one of 15 groups based on their expertise and the number of student projects in each of the 13 categories. (Physics has always been the most popular category). The two “extra” groups of judges are judges for special awards (typically awards from industry) and judges for the ISEF. ISEF uses different criteria from the OAS’s 13 categories. Judging captains are appointed for each of the 15 groups. Captains need not be experts in any of the STEMM disciplines.

Judges (Continued yet again) Judges who are teachers may, by also participating in an afternoon workshop and the awards ceremony, earn 1 CEU (free) and/or 1 graduate education credit (at reduced cost). Judges who are professional engineers may, by also participating in an afternoon workshop and the awards ceremony, earn a certificate stating that they have 7.5 hours of professional involvement.

All judges are given A continental breakfast in the morning. A packet containing judging materials and various souvenir items — pens, magnets, clipboard, etc. A box lunch after the judging. A thank-you letter after the event.

The Venue The UC SEE takes place on UC’s Uptown campus. Most of the day’s events are scheduled in the large Tangeman University Center (TUC). Tours of the UC campus, workshops, and specialized demonstrations (e.g., chemistry) take place in other buildings. The awards ceremony takes place in late afternoon in the Shoemaker Center (home of UC’s Fifth Third arena).

The Event Students and their parents set up the displays either the night before or the morning of the event. Judges’ training begins at 8 a.m. Judging takes place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. During this time the judging hall is a “no parent zone.” During the judging, events for parents and family members are taking place (zoo shows, demonstrations, tours, booths, movies, etc.).

The Event (continued) After the judging, the exhibit hall is open to the public for viewing, the food court is open for participants and families; campus tours and demos are still going on. Scores are tallied in a central room. At 3 p.m., the keynote speaker talks to the entire group (about 1,200 people) in the Schoemaker Center.

The Event (yet again) The awards ceremony begins at 4 p.m. Tom Cruse and a guest emcee do the honors with the winners’ names also projected behind them. After the awards ceremony, winners are given materials and instructions for advancement to the State Science Day and/or the ISEF.

After the UC SEE Several weeks after the UC SEE, qualifying students and their families are invited back to UC for some critical judging and advice before advancing to State Science Day and/or the ISEF.