Some of the state’s brightest middle and high school students will demonstrate their knowledge of science at the Central Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair (CARSEF) on March 7. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for OutReach Development (CORD) is sponsoring the event.

February 23, 2009

Some of the state's brightest middle and high school students will demonstrate their knowledge of science at the Central Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair (CARSEF) on March 7. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for OutReach Development (CORD) is sponsoring the event.

More than 300 middle and high school students from Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Cleburne, Etowah, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega, Walker and Winston counties will present table top science experiments and posters in biology, health, social and behavioral sciences, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and computer science, as well as subjects in the environmental, earth and physical sciences. Specific topics will include robotics, computer graphics, water pollution, air quality, plant ecology, soil contamination, genetics, epidemiology, astronomy, aerodynamics and more.

The fair is open to the public noon-4 p.m. Saturday, March 7 at the UAB Campus Recreation Center, 1501 University Blvd. The awards ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m.

Students in grades 5-8 will compete in the junior division. Students in grades 9-12 will compete in the senior division. Judging for each division will begin at 9 a.m.

Regional participants of the junior and senior divisions will be eligible to compete at the Alabama Science and Engineering Fair April 2-4 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Four overall winners in the CARSEF Senior Division will be eligible to bypass the state competition to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair May 10-15 in Reno, Nev. The Senior Division contestants who compete and win at the Alabama Science and Engineering Fair can also compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

UAB CORD is a university-wide center dedicated to advancing the outreach efforts of UAB in the Birmingham community by developing academic programs in partnership with area city schools.

For more details, contact Michael Wyss, Ph.D., UAB CORD director, at 205-934-5171.