By Donald Gilpin

The 72nd Annual Mercer Science and Engineering Fair will be taking place on March 22, and about 80 middle school and high school students from schools throughout the County are putting the finishing touches on their innovative projects.

At Princeton University for the first time and in person for the first time since before the COVID pandemic, this year’s competition will give students an opportunity to present their projects, meet like-minded peers, and engage with experts in the fields of science, engineering, and technology.

“Whether they have an innovative invention or a fresh scientific discovery, this is their chance to make an impact!” wrote Chad Colvin, executive director of Princeton Museum of Innovation and Leadership, which is sponsoring this year’s fair along with the Princeton Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department and the Mercer County Science and Engineering Club. The event will be held in the Computer Science Building on the University campus.

Winners in the March 22 competition, which will include a grand champion and a reserve champion as well as winners in individual categories such as animal science, behavioral and social science, biomedical science, environmental science, software and embedded systems, math, physics, engineering, chemistry, materials, and more, will go to Columbus, Ohio in May for the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) administered by the Society for Science. ISEF is the largest pre-college STEM competition in the world.

On April 27 from 2 to 4 p.m., before they travel to the ISEF competition, first-place winners are invited by the Princeton Museum of Innovation and Leadership (PMIL) to present their projects at the Princeton Public Library. With limited space available, pre-registration is recommended at princetoninnovationmuseum.org.

At the Science Fair these projects will be judged by professors, leaders in industry, and other professionals, who will review the students’ project notebooks and papers, oral presentations, posters, and exhibits. Some of the judges have participated in this event for more than 30 years. Also assisting this year will be a number of Princeton University students and young alumni.

Colvin is impressed with the projects he has heard about so far. “The students are coming up with very big ideas on the environment, on health-related fields, and other issues,” he said. “They’re very innovative, and dynamic.”