On Saturday, March 21, the University of Notre Dame hosted the Northern Indiana Regional Science and Engineering Fair (NIRSEF) at Stepan Center.
The fair featured 275 participants comprised of 255 projects from science, social science, engineering and mathematics projects. The students presenting their projects were in grades 3-12 who attend schools in the Indiana counties of Elkhart, Fulton, Marshall, and St. Joseph. The students were selected to participate in NIRSEF after being recognized at their individual school science fairs.
Six junior division students (three from physical sciences and three from life sciences) whose projects best demonstrated exemplary scientific research methods were selected as Spirit of Science Award winners and will present their research at the College of Science Joint Annual Meeting on Friday, May 2 in the Jordan Hall of Science. Twenty projects were also selected to represent the NIRSEF at the Hoosier Science and Engineering Fair on April 5 in Indianapolis.
There were over 240 volunteer judges, which included Notre Dame undergraduates, graduate students and faculty; faculty and students from St. Mary's College and Indiana University South Bend; and local industry STEM representatives.
"The annual Northern Indiana Regional Science and Engineering Fair exemplifies STEM community engagement by bringing area K-12 students, parents, and teachers together with students and faculty from the University of Notre Dame, St. Mary’s College, and Indiana University South Bend, as well as local STEM professionals to celebrate the academic efforts and achievements of the next generation of scientists and engineers," said Alisa Zornig Gura, coordinator for academic community engagement at the Center for Social Concerns.
The full listing of winners are available on the NIRSEF website.