Young Scientists From Around the State Will Compete for Top Honors at the 64th California State Science Fair

LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly 1,000 of the state's top middle and high school students will convene for the final round of competition in the 64^th annual California State Science Fair, May 18-19, 2015 at the California Science Center in Exposition Park. Winners will take home a combined total of more than $50,000 in cash prizes. The Fair's presenting sponsor is Northrop Grumman Corporation with additional support from Chevron Corporation, Southern California Gas Company, THE MUSES of the California Science Center Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Dr. Randy Schekman, professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, will give the keynote address. Schekman received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2013, which he shared with James Rothman of Yale University and Thomas Südhof of the Stanford School of Medicine, for their discoveries of the mechanism regulating vesicle traffic, a major cellular transport system. The keynote address will take place Monday, May 18 from 5:00-6:00 PM in the Wallis Annenberg Building.

The public is invited to see this year's slate of innovative projects during the public viewing period on Monday, May 18 from 3:00-4:30 PM. Students will be present to answer questions. Admission is free.

Ideas for projects often come from exploring and potentially solving issues presented in headline news or in personal, everyday experiences. Here is a sample of the interesting titles submitted to this year's Science Fair:

• Night Guard: Building a Device to Help Care for Seniors with Alzheimer's and Dementia
• Effect of Self-Driving Cars on Traffic Congestion
• Money and Mind: How Does Someone's Economic Situation Affect Their Moral Decision-Making?
• Is the Science Fair … Fair?

Nearly 1,000 students representing 30 affiliated county and multi-county regional science fairs throughout the state have advanced to the California State Science Fair. The projects span 22 categories – from aerodynamics/hydrodynamics to zoology – in two age divisions and will be judged by a volunteer pool of some 350 scientists and engineers from private industry and higher education.

In addition to the winners in each category, top honors will go to Student of the Year (senior division only), and Project of the Year (in both junior and senior divisions). Science teachers, nominated by students, will also compete for both middle school and high school Science Fair Teacher of the Year. Additional awards will be made to student projects by scientific and engineering organizations.

Besides the recognition and prize money, participating in the fair provides additional benefits for students. The process gives them the opportunity to develop a unique set of abilities, including using scientific methodology to reach a conclusion, marketing techniques to create compelling graphic displays, and communication skills to explain their research to Science Fair judges.

The fair culminates with two award ceremonies Tuesday, May 19 in the Science Center's Wallis Annenberg Building: The Junior Division ceremony will take place from 4:00-5:00 PM, followed by the Senior Division ceremony from 5:30-6:30 PM.

The California Science Center is located at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles. Parking is $10.00 per car in the visitor lot at Figueroa and 39th/Exposition Park Drive.

Media Contact: Paula Wagner
(213) 744-2144 | [email protected]
www.californiasciencecenter.org/CSSF

SOURCE California Science Center