On March 19, IU will be host to the National Science Olympiad Tournament.
Almost 1,800 middle and high school students from 72 Indiana schools are expected to compete.
“We expect this year’s event will be filled with great enthusiasm and fierce competition,” said Tina Gilliland, director of Science Olympiad State Tournament, in an IU press release. “We’ve got activities in many areas of science, including astronomy, atmospheric sciences, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth science, engineering, geology and physics.”
Students will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in 54 different science competitions. Students participating in the tournament, along with their coaches and parents, will travel to Bloomington from across the state from cities such as Indianapolis, Carmel, Fort Wayne, North Manchester, Peru, Gas City and West Lafayette.
The winning teams will travel May 20-22 to Wisconsin to compete in the 2016 National Science Olympiad Tournament at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
This year’s Science Olympiad State Tournament will take place from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 14 locations across the IU campus. A private awards ceremony is also scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the IU Auditorium.
Activities include designing lightweight bridges with the highest structural efficiency; solving a mock crime with paper chromatography and analyzing unknown solids, liquids and plastics; designing and programming an original computer game; and showing knowledge of anatomy and physiology, geological oceanography and invasive species.
Many of the activities will be open to the public as spectator events.
IU senior Sofia Bertoloni Meli is attending medical school in the fall and participated in the state and national Science Olympiad in middle and high school.
“Science Olympiad was one of the main factors in my decision to pursue a career in science,” Bertoloni Meli said in the release. “It’s inspiring because you can pick a topic you’re truly passionate about and immerse yourself in it. It also helped me become more curious and build a positive attitude about learning. Many of my closest friends were made through the event.”
All activities at the Science Olympiad State Tournament are coordinated and judged by IU faculty, research scientists, students and staff.
Scientists, engineers and volunteers from across Indiana also contribute to events and judging.
“This event is a spectacular opportunity to get young people excited about science at a crucial stage in their education,” associate professor Matt Shepherd said in the release. “I always look forward to seeing what sort of ingenious solutions they develop in response to the various challenges they’re presented every year.”
Taylor Telford
