March 15, 2005 — The Utah Science Center and the University of Utah will host the 2005 Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair this Thursday March 17 and Friday 18 at the University of Utah.

The fair will be held on the sixth floor of The Tower at Rice-Eccles Stadium, on the University of Utah campus. Middle and high school students (grades 6-12) from private and public schools in Salt Lake, Tooele and Summit counties will compete.

Project judging and evaluation will take place on Thursday March 17 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. On Friday March 18, student projects will be on display for the public from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Charles Jui (pronounced Ray), professor of physics at the University of Utah will be the keynote speaker of the awards ceremony, which will take place on Friday between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Free parking is available in the lot west of Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair provides opportunities for students to showcase their achievements and compete for valuable prizes. Top performers from the event will receive Grand Awards from Intel Corp., and will be invited to compete at the 2005 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, Ariz. The Intel ISEF is the world’s largest pre-college celebration of science, bringing together students from approximately 40 countries. Contestants at the Intel fair will compete for more than $2 million in scholarships, tuition grants, scientific equipment and scientific trips.

The Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair is made possible by a grant from the Intel Foundation. In addition to the Grand Awards sponsored by Intel, other awards will also be presented, including: First, second and third place awards in 14 research categories for both junior and senior divisions; Teacher Awards; and Special Awards, which will be presented on behalf of over 30 additional fair sponsors, including Discovery Communications, Eastman Kodak Co., Intermountain Health Care, Merit Medical, RIOCH Corp., Smith’s Food Stores, the Utah Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Utah Science Center, the Utah Energy Office and others.

About the Utah Science Center

The Utah Science Center (www.utahsciencecenter.org) emphasizes creative and active exploration of the worlds of science and technology. The Science Center endeavors to create a culture and environment for exploring the factors and phenomena that affect our lives and shape our future. The Utah Science Center, along with Global Artways (www.globalartways.org) – Salt Lake City’s arts education program – and the Center for Documentary Arts (www.cdautah.org), will find a permanent home in The Leonardo (www.theleonardo.org), an art, culture and science center being developed in the former main Salt Lake City Public Library building on Library Square.