Our History
Be a part of our history — Share your SARSEF story
We want to hear the stories of those who have had involvement with SARSEF through the decades. By telling your story, you help to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, and ensure that the Fair can continue to impact our community for decades more to come!
1955
SARSEF began in 1955 as a regional science fair to meet the critical shortage of scientists and engineers by encouraging more high school students to aim towards those fields. The first fair included 120 projects from Tucson, Casa Grande, Yuma, and Bisbee and was planned by the University of Arizona and hosted at the Bear Down gymnasium. Two high school students were selected to compete at the National Science fair in Cleveland, Ohio.
From the beginning, students were working on projects they cared about. In 1961, Sondra Kay Johnson, a senior at Rincon High School, suffered from severe allergies. In her project, she devised her own method for collecting pollen and identified 75 different types of pollen from three different sites over a year’s time. Sondra was one of the students selected to attend the National Science fair.
1971
In the 70s, science fair participation grew with the SARSEF Fair including about 400 participants each year.
Projects encompass students’ interest and their curiosity about society. In 1971, Kaye Steelnick entered her project from Townsend Middle School where she researched the tobacco plant. She investigated when the highly addictive chemical nicotine is found in the plant during its growth cycle. Kaye discovered that nicotine is absent in the plant’s first two months of growth and fluctuates throughout its life cycle.
1980s
The 1980s show a sharp rise in the popularity of the SARSEF Fair. For most fairs in the 1980s and 1990s, there were 1,000 participants. This marked a period of dynamic exploration for SARSEF participants, who delved into diverse topics from renewable energy and computer programming to health sciences and engineering.
Steve Larmey was one of two students that represented SARSEF at the 1980 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in St. Paul, Minnesota. Steve’s project focused on solving energy challenges by using windmills to produce hydrogen through electrolysis, storing it for later use in fuel cells.
The second student that represented SARSEF was Jean Raymond who conducted a detailed study of plant growth in soil containing varying amounts of salt. She measured the degree of how salt interferes with growth addressing a critical issue in the Southwest, where irrigation practices increase soil salinity over time. Both projects exemplify the innovative spirit and real-world impact that young scientists can achieve!
This year also highlighted the efforts of teachers like Jo Quintenz, teacher at Apollo Middle School, who worked to involve more students in science fairs, underscoring the role of dedicated educators in nurturing scientific curiosity.
In 1983, Timothy Shirley, from Palo Verde High school, studied the feasibility of producing, storing and using hydrogen as a synthetic fuel. His groundbreaking project not only addressed real-world challenges but also earned him five grand awards at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), proving the power of nurturing scientific ambition.
1996
In 1996, Tucson and the University of Arizona hosted the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Tucson was the epicenter, with thousands of students and parents — from more than 50 nations — attending.
Marcy Paquin was one of the students selected to attend ISEF at the SARSEF Fair. She looked at rat hearts, one normal and one diseased. She treated the heart cells with a stain that sticks to proteins called integrins, which allow heart cells to adhere to other heart cells. She found a higher concentration and an abnormal distribution of the integrins in the diseased heart, which could have implications in diagnosing heart failure.
Meanwhile, the SARSEF Fair was growing rapidly. Articles were filed for the formation of a non-profit that could support fundraising for the specific purpose of raising revenue to support a larger location and continued growth of the organization, in general. It was named SciEnTeK-12 Inc. (for Science, Engineering, Technology in K-12 Schools) and later changed to SARSEF.
By 1997, the fair had grown to showcase the work of 2,225 K-12 grade students. In the same year, SARSEF’s previous CEO, Liz Bowman, won Best Individual In Primary Grade for her project, “What Kind of Soil and Climate Do Insects Prefer?”
2000
In the year 2000, the science fair was held for the first time at the Tucson Convention Center. The fair would continue to be held at the center to accommodate the growing size of the event.
In 2003, SARSEF held its first hands-on science exploration event as a new feature of the fair. Thousands of 4th – 8th grade students attended to experience a wide variety of science topics and to see all the projects participating in the Fair.
2008
A young girl in the audience of the SARSEF Fair awards ceremony turned to her mom and asked why all the winners were boys. A SARSEF board member overheard and brought their concerns back to the entire board. This interaction convinced the board to hire SARSEF’s first paid employees to ensure the organization’s work was built on equity.
SARSEF hired its first CEO – Kathleen Bethel in 2009. During her 10 years with the organization, SARSEF grew to include other science events, such as the Arizona STEM Adventure, high school mentoring programs, and outreach programs.
While the fair continued to be a major event for SARSEF, the focus had shifted to creating Arizona’s future critical thinkers and problem solvers through science and engineering with a variety of programming for students, parents, and teachers.
2020
By 2020, SARSEF had acquired a solar-powered go-kart competition for high school students and built year-round programming to engage a diversity of students in science and engineering.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first made its presence known throughout Arizona in early March, SARSEF was challenged to completely transition their Science and Engineering Fair to a hybrid event to showcase the work of over 7,000 students. For the remainder of the year, SARSEF ran programs virtually to bring science to students learning at home. As a result, SARSEF’s new outreach program, What Do We Wonder? started, which led students and teachers through the entire research process.