SCIENCE FAIR GAINS NEW DIRECTOR AND DIRECTION

Since she was an ambitious fourth-grade student with her own science project, Ruth Hathaway has been involved in science fairs.

This year she takes the helm as co-director of the 37th Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair

Hathaway, a chemist with Environmental Analysis South in Cape Girardeau, is the first director of the fair who works solely in the science industry. Previous co-directors have been affiliated with Southeast Missouri State University.

The university maintains its sponsorship of the fair, but Jesse Snowden, dean of the College of Science and Technology, said it's time the science fair conducts an experiment of its own.

"We are going to try it this year with Ruth as director and with our science and math advisory committee working with her to bring more outside involvement," Snowden said.

"For a long time, mainly the university and the Southeast Missourian have sponsored the fair. I think it's a good idea to bring in some other groups that would like to encourage science and mathematics in secondary schools.

"Another thing that has troubled me is that local participation has dropped," Snowden said.

"The hope is that if we can get a few more agencies and companies involved we may be able to generate some additional interest on behalf of the students."

Hathaway is co-director with Kim McDowell of the Southeast Missourian newspaper. The newspaper has been cosponsor of the regional fair since its inception 37 years ago.

Hathaway for years has judged science fair entries. For the past several years she has organized judges for the regional fair. Last year she judged at the international science fair. "I guess I've just moved up one more step," she said.

The Regional Science Fair will be held March 30-April 2 at the Show Me Center. Last year 250 exhibits from across Southeast Missouri showed off student scientific research.

Hathaway plans some changes for the fair, including a new location and some ideas to increase participation.

"I am looking at the science fair from the industry standpoint, and I think it will be run a little more like a business," said Hathaway. "We have a budget and are looking at ways to get more bang for our buck," Hathaway explained.

"People are always harping about a scientist shortage. This is one way of cultivating scientists."

Hathaway said the 1994 science fair will be held at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. The Show Me Center is larger than the science fair requires, and Hathaway hopes that by changing locations different people might view the exhibits.

"Most of the people who come to the science fair are students," she said. "Very few people come from the community."

Hathaway has initiated a science fair logo contest. A different logo will be designed for each year to be used on letterhead, T-shirts, patches and in advertising.

"All schools that participate in the science fair can enter a logo design," Hathaway said. "It doesn't have to be designed by the science department; it can be through the art department."

The school designing the winning logo will receive a $500 grant for science education.

"The money can be used for just about anything textbooks, equipment, repair of equipment, chemicals, computer equipment, software," Hathaway said.

"We know $500 is not a huge amount, but I understand for some schools $500 is the entire budget for science for an entire year."

In addition to supporting science education, Hathaway hopes that the logo contest will encourage more schools to become involved in the regional science fair.

"There are over 500 schools eligible to compete in the fair," she said. "Right now 95 schools participate. That's about 20 percent."

Not all schools in Cape Girardeau county participate.

"I hope to talk with science teachers and find out: Do you require students to do a project in an advanced science class? That's a science fair project. All you have to do is display it.

"The science fair gives students a chance to really explore an area of science they may be interested in," she said. "It also lets them see how they stack up to other people their age."

And the payoff for students can be great.

Two top winners from the regional fair win an all-expense-paid trip to the international fair. This year's international fair is held in May in Mississippi Beach, Miss.

Local winners also vie for scholarships to Southeast Missouri State University and a number of other prizes.

At the international fair, cash prizes, all-expense-paid trips, full university scholarships, and research stipends are given.

"Last year in environmental sciences we gave away 11, $5,000 awards," Hathaway said.

She said she hopes to beef up the local prize money as well.

"My five-year goal is to get enough money donated by industry to offer our two top winners full stipends to do research at Southeast Missouri State University. They would get paid for that experience."

For students, that summer of research can be used for the next year's science fair project.

She said keeping top science students in Southeast Missouri for college could be a boon to the area science industry. Local businesses have been supportive of the science fair because it's tough to hire a qualified scientist. "This way we will home-grow our scientists," she said.