UM-Flint to host Flint Regional Science & Engineering Fair, March 15-17

If your idea of a science fair is baking soda volcanoes and model solar systems, think again. The competition at the Flint Regional Science & Engineering Fair is just a bit more advanced than that – the winning project from last year's competition was titled "Hydrogen and Oxygen Production from a Dry Cell to Start a Sustainable Internal Combustion Engine as a Function of Voltage and Amperage." If that doesn't rev your engine, nothing will. 

FRSEF returns to the University of Michigan-Flint campus, March 15-17, with hundreds of contestants and life-changing prizes for the winning entries. The senior portion of the event, which features competitors in grades 9-12, is open to the public, 2-5 p.m., March 16, in UM-Flint's Riverfront Conference Center. The awards ceremony will take place March 17 in the Northbank Center. 

"This event marks the third year FRSEF and UM-Flint have partnered to provide exceptional opportunities for the brightest young minds of southeastern Michigan to display their talents and creativity," said Kathy Dutton, marketing and outreach representative for FSREF. "The UM-Flint professors and students who serve as volunteers and judges are not only invaluable during the fair itself, but they also serve as mentors and models of success for competitors as they prepare to take the next step in their education and career development."

The university's involvement doesn't end with its hosting and judging contributions. UM-Flint will provide four-year scholarships to those who place in the top three, with an estimated total value of $52,000 per winner. The fourth-place winner will receive a one-time, $5000 scholarship. 

"UM-Flint is proud of the work FRSEF does, and of the students from the greater Flint community who devote themselves to this competition," said Lori Vedder, interim vice-provost of enrollment management and director of financial aid. "These competitors represent the amazing wealth of talent and energy southeastern Michigan has to offer, and investing in them will pay dividends not only in their own academic and professional potential but also the overall prosperity of our region."

UM-Flint continues to make STEM resources and opportunities a top priority for students, fostering the creation of an innovation & technology complex by constructing a new building north of the university's William S. White Building. The space will feature state-of-the-art instructional laboratories and areas designed to encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary research. This new project comes on the heels of the 2021 opening of the Murchie Science Building Expansion – a $40 million project allowing the College of Innovation & Technology to greatly expand its future-focused programmatic offerings. Degree pathways in areas including cybersecurity, digital manufacturing technology, information technology and informatics, software engineering, and sustainability and renewable energy technology are creating new, future-proofed pathways for students to gain successful, rewarding careers after graduation.

Following the judging on March 16, competitors and their families are invited to tour the Murchie Science Building to get an inside look at these cutting-edge facilities where they can continue their scientific investigations. 

To learn more about FRSEF, visit its website. More information about UM-Flint's CIT can also be found online.