Tom Missel

Director of Media Relations/Marketing

(716) 375-2303 | tmissel@sbu.edu

For Immediate Release:

St. Bonaventure to host high school

science fair; registration deadline Feb. 18
By Ethan Kibbe, 18

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y., Feb. 10, 2015 St. Bonaventure University will host its first SBU
Science Fair for high school students on Wednesday, March 25.

To enter a project, a students teacher must register the student by Wednesday, Feb. 18. In March,
participating students will be contacted directly, at which time they will need to provide a project
description.

For more information or to register for the science fair, contact Dr. Maureen Cox, mathematics
professor, at (716) 375-2476 or mcox@sbu.edu.

The event will begin with registration from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in Doyle Dining Hall. After registration,
participants will display their projects from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Students will then be served lunch in
Hickey Dining Hall and be taken on a tour of the university while their projects are being judged by
professors, St. Bonaventure students and local professionals.

Awards will be presented at 1 p.m. A drawing will be held after the judging, with all entrants eligible to
win an additional prize.

The projects must be in the science or math fields, said Dr. David Hilmey, chemistry professor and
one of the science fair organizers. Projects can be about math, physics, chemistry, biology or computer
science. It may also be an engineering project that utilizes these STEM disciplines.

The science fair is a joint effort among the chemistry, biology, computer science and math departments
at St. Bonaventure. In addition, Hilmey said, the university is partnering with Dream It Do It, a local
organization designed to promote science, technology, engineering and math careers for local students.
The science fair is designed to bring between 20 and 40 students to campus who share an interest in
science. Interested students from any school are welcome to compete in the event.

We felt that we were filling a need, Hilmey said. Locally, there is no science fair, and most of the
school districts in Cattaraugus County do not have a science fair. We felt that there were a lot of students
who have an interest in science but may not get the opportunity to delve deeper into their interest
through a science project. We want to provide an opportunity for high school students interested in
science to develop that interest and create projects that they can present.

-----------------------------------

About the University: The nations first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University cultivates
graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and
innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them.
We are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned
liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.

-30-