AIChE Cleveland Section April 2021 NEOSEF Student Awards

AIChE Virtual Awards Recognition for NEOSEF Students By Joseph Spagnuolo, PE, Holistic Engineering, Inc., Westlake, OH Abstract: Today we are celebrating the AIChE Special Judging Awards to students that participated in the NEOSEF. The NEOSEF was established in 1953, the Northeastern Ohio Science and Engineering Fair (NEOSEF) is a non-profit, all volunteer organization, whose goal is to get young adults interested in science and engineering by participating in a science and engineering competition. The Fair has been held every year since 1954 and is affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). During the event, approximately 300 students from over 50 schools in the area provided virtual science fair presentations to discuss their projects with 260+ judges and compete for more than $20,000 in prizes. One of the most rewarding aspects of NEOSEF is the opportunity for the students to discuss their research with professional scientists and engineers from the local area. At the fair students compete in nine categories which are subdivided by grade levels. NEOSEF awards one 1st place, and multiple 2nd place, 3rd place and honorable mentions per subdivision. Students also compete for over 300 Special Awards totaling more than $15,000 that are donated by companies, societies and organizations. NEOSEF selects students to move on to the next levels of competition: The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and Society for Science and the Public Broadcom MASTERS Program. NEOSEF selects up to four 9-12th Grade Grand Prize Winners to attend ISEF where they compete with almost 1,500 students from all over the world for over $4,000,000 in scholarships and prizes. NEOSEF also nominates students from grades 7-8 to compete in the Broadcom Masters Program competition.