2024
Fair History
With the beginning of the new fair season, the fair’s name changed to The Greater Austin Regional Science and Engineering Fair; it has a new logo and a new website, austinscience.org
Dr. Michelle Deere, who had worked with Russell Cowen for several years, joined the ASEF staff as the new Fair Director; Susan Selman officially became the Elementary Fair Coordinator, a position she had held years.
All TX regional fairs jointly selected a new documentation submission platform, STEMWizard, and
created training materials for students and teachers.
ASEF reviewed all expenses for potential cost cuttings and increased fundraising efforts. Aided by Austin Energy’s generous transition contribution, we made our budget.
We were able to expand our Teacher Support Program to assist 29 middle and high schools and added a stipend for Title I school teachers who met required milestones.
The first fair managed by ASEF was a success!
ISEF 2024 was another success. We garnered the most awards in a decade: five of our seven Best of Fair projects won a total of nine awards.
2023
Fair History
The fair was held in-person at the Palmer Events Center again! Fair participation had dropped by more than 50% during the pandemic years; rebuilding it became a priority. ASEF introduced a Teacher Support Program that paired experienced retired science teachers with those new to the fair to guide them through the process. 19 middle and high school students with 431 students (299 projects) participated in that first year; 200 students with 146 projects entered our fair. In the spring, two announcements were made: Scienteer, our documentation submission platform, had reached the end of its life cycle, and Austin Energy announced that after 20 years of stewardship, they needed to withdraw from fair management. The ASEF board voted to accept full responsibility for conducting the fair. ASEF spent the reminder of the year preparing for these changes: finding a Scienter replacement and securing funding to replace Austin Energy’s resources.
2022
Fair History
With the pandemic continuing unabated throughout the fall and winter, AERSF was conducted virtually again, using the same on-line platform. TXSEF was held as a hybrid event, with Round Two students invited to TX A&M for actual interviews. ISEF was hybrid as well, with students given a choice whether to attend in person or be interviewed online. Without exception, AERSF students voted to travel to Atlanta!
Distinguished Participant
A 2021 and 2022 ISEF winner entered her 2021 project (Larvicidal “Trojan-horse”: Experimentally Developing a Novel Low-Cost and Eco-Friendly Mosquito Vector Control Treatment”) in the Regeneron STS; she placed 6th and was awarded $80,000 which she applied to her college of choice, Harvard.
2021
Fair History
In April 2020, when it became apparent that the pandemic would not subside soon, AERSF began
researching platforms that would enable us to conduct a virtual fair with video interviews. We settled on Rocket Judge and spent the summer and fall preparing training materials for students, judges and volunteers, followed by intensive rehearsals with judges.
The fair was spread over two weeks – one for the Senior Division, one for the Junior Division – to accommodate over 500 video interview sessions; the Elementary Division fair consisted of a document review only. The staff met in a North Austin location, maintaining separation and wearing masks, to manage the process. All went exceedingly well, until Winter Storm Uri took everyone by surprise. We barely finished the Senior Division Fair with Best of Fair selection before power and internet were lost citywide. The Junior Division Fair had to be delayed by a week and converted into a paper review process.
Winners advancing to TXSEF submitted electronic project boards and videos; Round 2 students were
invited to video interviews ISEF was held as a virtual fair with video interviews; winners were announced in an online ceremony. The ISEF event organizer shortened their name from Society for Science and The Public to Society for Science.
Distinguished Participant
A 2020 ISEF Finalist entered his project, Calling into Question the Anisotropic Nature of the
Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall, in the 2021 Regeneron Science Talent Search (please link to
https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/) and placed 10 th out of 300 participants; he received a $40,000 scholarship to a college of his choice – MIT.
2020
Fair History
Dell Technologies became the Anchor Sponsor of the entire Elementary Division Fair!
We managed to conduct the 2020 fair just a few weeks before the Covid pandemic shut down events in the City of Austin. TXSEF was converted to a Research Review process; no winners were selected, though students received feedback from judges. The International Science And Engineering Fair obtained a new title sponsor and is now named Regeneron ISEF; the fair took place as virtual event with displays of students’ work as well as presentations; no projects were judged.
ISEF History
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.
2019
Fair History
Texas A&M in College Station conducted the Texas Science and Engineering Fair for the first time. They are still the organizer to this day.
Distinguished Participant
A 2019 Best of Fair student developed a novel way to combat zebra mussels in Austin lakes that
caught the attention of the City of Austin's Watershed Protection Department. They enrolled in the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science to earn a bachelor in Marine Science and now work as the primary researcher of novel modeling of motility-induced tissue fractures using hot and kiln formed glass processes.
2018
Fair History
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.
2018 was the last year UT San Antonio managed the Texas Science and Engineering Fair (TXSEF); the fair, which had been scheduled to be on a two-year rotation among various UT systems, had stayed there for over 10 years.
2016
60th Anniversary
The Austin Energy Regional Science Festival celebrates its 60th Anniversary!
All living Fair Directors participated in the celebration:
From left to right: Russell Cowen (2008-2023)
Ingrid Weigand (2006-07)
Missing: Candice Scott, deceased (2004-2005)
Dr. Barbara tenBrink (1996-2003)
Kenn Heydrick, (1990-1996)
Dr. Wayne Schade (1975-1989)
Missing: Lawrence Bufford, deceased (1960-1975)
From left to right: Russell Cowen (2008-2023)
Ingrid Weigand (2006-07)
Missing: Candice Scott, deceased (2004-2005)
Dr. Barbara tenBrink (1996-2003)
Kenn Heydrick, (1990-1996)
Dr. Wayne Schade (1975-1989)
Missing: Lawrence Bufford, deceased (1960-1975)
2015-2016
Fair History
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.
ISEF introduced major categories:
Medicine & Health was replaced with Biomedical and Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering &Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. AERSF combined them all into one new category: Health Sciences/Biomedical Engineering
Energy & Transportation was split into two new categories: Energy: Chemical and Energy: Physical which at AERSF became Energy: Traditional/Alternative/Energy Efficiency
Engineering: Electrical & Mechanical and Engineering: Materials & Bioengineering were replaced with Engineering Mechanics, which in 2022 became Engineering Technology: Statics & Dynamics, and Materials Science.
Environmental Management and Environmental Sciences were replaced by Earth & Environmental Sciences and Environmental Engineering
Robotics and Intelligent Machines was introducing as well, adopted by ARSEF in 2016 and ended in 2020, due to lack of projects submitted.
2013
ASEF Founded
The Austin Science Education Foundation was founded. ASEF is a 501( c)(3) non-profit organization that supports AERSF through judges and volunteers recruiting, fundraising, community outreach, and assistance with the overall management of the fair. Members of the former Advisory Committee helped create the original board. Ms. Weigand serves as Executive Director.
Distinguished Participant
A 2013 ISEF Finalist (earned a Masters in Computer Science from MIT and is now a software
engineer working on AI-powered operation platforms.
2012
Distinguished Participant
One of the regional Best of Fair winners placed 4th in her category at Intel ISEF with her project Determination of Rayleigh Scattering Measurements for Global Warming Counteracting Atmospheric Aerosols; 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.
2011
Fair History
Intel ISEF begins using high school and middle school participation levels to calculate how many Best of Fair projects each fair can send to ISEF. AERSF is allocated five projects. In that first year, AERSF students won two first place awards, two third awards, two full tuition scholarships to Drexel University, and four special awards.
2008
Fair History
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.
2008
Fair Director
Russell Cowen serves a Fair Director. In 2012, Mr. Cowen designed and implemented an online registration and paperwork submission system that makes compliance with ISEF rules much easier and saves thousands of pieces of paper each year. The online registration is now used by all regional fairs in Texas and the Texas Science and Engineering Fair as well as regional fairs in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New York, and Virginia.
2007
Fair History
Intel ISEF renamed the Zoology category to Animal Sciences and the Botany category to Plant Sciences. Both categories saw a sharp increase in participation.
2006-2007
Fair Director
Ingrid Weigand, Manager of Marketing Communications, became Fair Director and continued managing the fair until her retirement in 2013.
2005
Fair History
Intel ISEF added Space Science and Team Projects as categories, but eliminated Gerontology.
2004
Fair History
A regional Best of Fair winner from Connally H.S. who placed second in the category of Gerontology at Intel ISEF (Cellular Senescence: Factors Regulating the Expression of Telomerase in Euplotes crassus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is now specializing in cardiology; she served a co-presenter at the Junior and Senior awards ceremonies from 2005 – 2012.
2004-2005
Fair Director
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.
2004
Fair History
Austin Energy assumes responsibility for conducting the AERSF.
2002
Fair History
Austin Energy became the title sponsor and the fair name changed to Austin Energy Regional Science Festival (AERSF).
2001
Distinguished Participant
The regional Best of Fair winner from LBJ H.S. competed at Intel ISEF in the category of Medicine and Health, then changed course and received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He now works at Samsung and has served as a judge at AERSF numerous times.
2000-2006
Fair History
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.
2001
Fair History
The Intel Foundation became a sponsor and remained one at the highest level, Platinum, until 2019, when Intel withdrew from science fair support worldwide.
1998
Fair History
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. The fair’s name changed first to Austin Area Fair and Festival (1998/99), then Austin Area Regional Science Festival (2000/01)
1996-2003
Fair Director
Dr. Barbara ten Brink, Science Director at Round Rock ISD, served as Fair Director. She recruited Austin Energy as a sponsor in 1999. During her tenure, the back-to-back award ceremonies for the Junior and Senior Divisions were combined into one ceremony. As the fair grew, the Junior and Senior Divisions were separated from the Elementary Division. The Junior and Senior Divisions now start on Wednesday with registration; projects are judged on Thursday, and the awards ceremony is Thursday night. Elementary students register on Friday. They are judged and have their awards ceremony on Saturday.
1995
Fair History
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.
1992
Fair History
A regional Best of Fair winner from Round Rock H.S. received a B.S. in Mathematics from M.I.T. and is now a partner at 400 Capital Management.
1990-1996
Fair Director
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. Dr. Heydrick later became the Executive Director of the National Science Education Leadership Association, the National STEM Manager for Accelerate Learning (STEMscopes) and the Statewide Director of Science Curriculum for the Texas Education Agency. Under Dr. Heydrick’s leadership, the Elementary Division was added to the fair, including Pre-K through Grade 6.
1991-1999
Fair History
All regional Best of Fair winners were either from Round Rock High School or Bowie High School.
1975-1989
Fair Director
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, continued to serve as a judge at the fair until he passed away in 2024.
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.
1973
Distinguished Participant
The International Science Fair established official science categories in which students entered their projects. A student from McCallum H.S. (Vitamin E: The Anti-Smog Vitamin) placed second in Medicine & Health.
1970
Distinguished Participant
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.
1956-1969
Fair History
During the first dozen years, all the regional Best of Fair winners who were sent to the National/International Science Fair were from Austin H.S. or McCallum H.S.
1969
Distinguished Participant
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.
1960-1975
Fair Director
Lawrence Buford, first a science teacher at Lamar Junior High School, then Science Coordinator for Austin Independent School District, served as Fair Director of the Austin Area Science Fair
1961
Distinguished Participant
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.
1959
Fair History
Students from Canada, Japan and Germany compete for the first time at the National Science Club. The Austin fair was renamed Austin Area Science Fair
1958
Distinguished Participant
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.
1956
Distinguished Participant
One of the students (Separating the Cations Used in Alloys & Steels by Paper Chromatography) received a Ph.D. in Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics at Cal Tech in 1965 and became the Director of the Crosbyton Solar Power Project of Texas Tech University which built the largest single mirror solar collector in history and made the nation's first commercial electric power plant from solar steam. 1956 National Science Fair Program
1956
Inaugural Austin Regional Science Festival
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.