2010 Alabama Science and Engineering Fair (ASEF) was April 1-3, 2010, at Spragins Hall, UAHuntsville.  The IEEE Huntsville Section judged the Science & Engineering categories for Special Awards – a certificate and $100 Savings Bond – four each in the junior and senior divisions.  Frank Parris and Jennifer Deang did the judging, and had the opportunity to interact with the students and listen to their energetic descriptions of their projects.  From skateboards with integrated accelerometers to rebuilt electric pickup trucks, this year’s projects represented refreshing ideas and interesting new perspectives on the world around us.  When you read the project descriptions below, make a note of the student names – you’ll likely be seeing them again in USA Today or the Wall Street Journal in the not-too-distant future!

Winners of the IEEE Huntsville Section Special Awards

ASEF-Winners-2010

Junior Division

Nicholas Dietschweiler, Thompson Middle School, “Wind Powered Generator.”
Alex Dillon, West Madison Elementary School, “Home and Business Pack.”
Craig Conner, Monrovia Middle School, “Navigating With a Skateboard by Integrating Sensors.”
Kyle Sander, Columbia Elementary, “A Method for Estimating the Atmospheric Transmission Loss of Radio Signals.”

Senior Division

Nicholas Christensen, Wetumpka High School, “1 Sun + 8 Bits = H2O:  Digitally Optimizing Smart Photovoltaics for a Water Distillation Application.”
Robert Desilva, Catholic High School, “3-D Laser Simulation.”
Joel Tinker, Covenant Christian Academy, “Engineering an Affordable Electric Vehicle.”
David Lofts, Covenant Christian Academy, “Development of a Non-Toxic Silk Reinforced Composite for Robotics Applications.”

ASEF-Judges-2010

Judges Frank Parris and Jennifer Deang