Science fair brings young researchers

More than 1,100 elementary and high school students from 16 eastern and central counties will take part April 1 and 8 in the Region 5 Science and Engineering Fair at Mississippi State University.

Counties represented include Attala, Clay, Choctaw, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Lowndes, Madison, Montgomery, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Scott, Webster, and Winston.

Some 440 students in grades 7-12 will present their projects on the 1st. Top winners in this category will go to the University of Mississippi April 7 for the Mississippi Science and Engineering Fair, with state finalists eligible for the 48th international fair May 10-17 in Louisville, Ky.

Entries of the more than 700 students in grades 1-6 will be judged on the 8th. Because of the large number of entries, extra judges currently are being sought by the College of Engineering's Office of Engineering and Sciences Education and Outreach, sponsor of the regional fair.

The annual Humphrey Coliseum event begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. each day. Award ceremonies for both competitive levels get under way at 5 p.m.

For additional information or to volunteer as a judge, telephone coordinator Stephanie C. Burton at (601) 325-1360. Her e-mail address is burton@engr.msstate.edu.