AUM welcomes region’s top young scientists

Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) will serve as a hub of scientific ideas and innovation for 200 middle and high school students from 27 counties on Friday, March 14.

The students will make presentations and compete for awards in the Greater East Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair (GEARSEF). Public viewing of the students’ projects will take place from 12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. in Taylor Center 221-223 and 230 on the AUM campus.

The annual competition celebrates the ingenuity and dedication of young scientists, providing a platform for students to showcase their research across various STEM fields. GEARSEF recognizes outstanding achievements in the Junior (middle school) and Senior (high school) divisions, offering a variety of awards sponsored by corporate partners, AUM departments, and other special contributors.

GEARSEF serves as a launchpad for winning students to advance to the Alabama Science and Engineering Fair (ASEF) and, potentially, national and international competitions. Top Junior Division winners will be invited to participate in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, the nation’s top middle school STEM competition. The top three Senior Division projects will earn a direct bid to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), where they will compete against 1,500 of the brightest young scientists from around the world for nearly $4 million in prizes and scholarships.