The International Science And Engineering fair has a new title sponsor and is now named Regeneron ISEF. Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, the fair was held as a virtual event.

ASEF and AERSF began a partnership with the University of Texas at Austin’s High School Research Initiative (HRI) that offers dual-enrollment research courses to high school students. ASEF’s Mentor program supports theses students by helping them turn their research into science fair projects.

ASEF started a Mentor Program for schools serving students from low social-economic and diverse backgrounds. In its first year, the program served one middle school in North Austin. 29 students with 20 projects participated; 15 of them with 12 projects entered the fair.

One of the regional Best of Fair winners placed 4th in her category at Intel ISEF; while she attended the University of Texas in Austin, she served as co-presenter at the Junior and Senior Awards Ceremony. She is now enrolled at Rutgers University Newark, working towards her Ph. D. in Geomicrobiology in the Environmental Sciences Department. She is a recipient of the Bridge to Doctorate NSF fellowship and in the summer of 2020 had a full-time ISS Research Integration Internship at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

A regional Best of Fair winner from Westwood H.S. won 1st place at Intel ISEF in Cellular & Molecular Biology (Molecular Genetics of Alcohol Addiction: A Novel Role of Diazepam-Binding Proteins) and Best of Category; his research was published in a national industry magazine.

Intel ISEF renamed the Zoology category to Animal Sciences and the Botany category to Plant Sciences. Both categories saw a sharp increase in participation.

Intel ISEF added Space Science and Team Projects as categories, but eliminated Gerontology.

Candice Scott, Public Information Officer at Austin Energy, served as Fair Director. She was assisted by the newly formed Advisory Committee, headed by Dr. Barbara ten Brink. The fair moved from the old Palmer Auditorium to the new Palmer Events Center.

Austin Energy became the title sponsor and the fair name changed to Austin Energy Regional Science Festival (AERSF)

Austin ISD’s LBJ H.S. and Pflugerville ISD’s Connally H.S. students dominated the Best of Fair winners. Bowie H.S. and a new high school in Leander ISD, Vista Ridge H.S. began to win awards.

The same regional Best of Fair winner from Round Rock H.S. was selected both years and placed 2nd and 3rd in Microbiology, respectively, at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) . She graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Biology from Rice University and was awarded a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Stanford University. After a postdoc at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, she switched careers and focused on science education. She is now a performer specializing in hoop dance, levitation wand, fire dancing, aerials, and combines circus arts with science.

Intel ISEF began permitting each affiliated regional and state fair to advance three Best of Fair projects: Two done by individuals and one by a team.

Kenn Heydrick, Coordinator of Science and Health at Austin ISD, served as Fair Director of the Austin Area Regional Science Festival. Dr. Heydrick is currently the Executive Director of the National Science Education Leadership Association, housed at the University of Texas at Tyler. Under Dr. Heydrick’s leadership, the Elementary Division was added to the fair, including Pre-K through Grade 6.

Dr. Wayne R. Schade, Austin ISD Science Coordinator, served as Fair Director of the Austin Area Science Fair which was renamed the Austin Area Science and Mathematics Fair in 1984. Dr. Schade, now retired, still judges projects in the Junior and Senior Divisions. During his tenure, the fair took place in the cafeteria of the new Austin H.S. on Ladybird Lake. Students registered and set up on Fridays and were judged on Saturdays.

Students from Lanier H.S. and Travis H.S. were selected regional Best of Fair winners, advancing to the International Science Fair. The first finalist from Westlake H.S. (Gametophytic Ametophtic Aberration of Thelypteris Dentata Caused by ∞ Trichoderma) now teaches Biostatistics and Genetics as an Associate Professor at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

A student who was selected regional Best of Fair winner all three years and advanced to the International Science Fair received his M.D. from the University of Texas in Galveston. His projects ranged from “Field-Effect Transistors And Field-Effect Transistor Amplifiers At ∞-195 Degrees Celsius” to “Transistors Integrated With Physically Small Antennas.” He is now a board certified Ophthalmologist and serves on the Board of Directors of The Eye Institute of Austin.

One of two regional Best of Fair winners (Are Fish Affected by Magnetism?) received a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and is now a Senior Lecturer in Genetics at Texas A&M.

One of the two regional Best of Fair winners, again from Austin H.S., (Creating Metabolism in Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy) earned a Ph.D. in Zoology, Physiology, and Biochemistry at the University of Texas. He retired as a professor of Biology from the University of Colorado.

The First Annual Austin Science Fair was organized by the University of Texas at Austin, and sent two students from Austin High School to the Science Club of America, which later became the National Science Fair International in 1960, the International Science Fair in 1966, and the International Science and Engineering Fair in 1971. The students’ trip was funded by the Travis County Women's Medical Auxiliary. The organization remains a sponsor to this day, under the name of Travis County Medical Alliance.