ODU Hosting Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair This Month

February 28, 2013

For the ninth straight year, Old Dominion University will host the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair, a gathering of the brightest science and engineering minds from local schools.

The event will take place all day on Saturday, March 16, featuring more than 200 student entries from 16 regional public school divisions, grades 7-12. The projects, in fields like life sciences, physics and computer engineering, will be seen by more than 100 judges and evaluators, as well as hundreds of parents and students from throughout southeastern Virginia.

Since 1950, the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair has been a magnet for bright students from Williamsburg to Virginia Beach to discover the processes of research and scientific communication. Many participants in the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair have gone on to distinguished careers in a host of professional fields.

The word "Engineering" was added to the Tidewater Science Fair name in 2011, to reflect the growth of importance in STEM education and innovation, and to reflect the dynamic nature of the science fair itself.

Since 2005, community support has allowed the science fair to expand to all public schools, private schools and home-schooled students in the Tidewater area. The expansion of the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair has spurred the creation of science-based organizations in many regional high schools, schools that had stopped science fair participation over the last several years because of cost concerns.

This year's event on March 16 begins with student setup, followed by a preliminary review of projects by judges, beginning at 7 a.m. The science fair continues throughout the day, concluding with an awards ceremony from 2-4 p.m.

Chris Osgood, associate dean of ODU's College of Sciences, and retired university computer science professor Mike Overstreet serve on the board of directors for the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair.

For more information, contact John Wittmann (jwitt07@msn.com) and Dell Young (dellandlarry@verizon.net), co-directors of the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair.