Middle school and high school students from 13 counties will compete in earth science, biology, physics, chemistry, computer science and math when Cal U hosts the Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Science Olympiad on March 6 at the Convocation Center.
Gateway students Cyann Williams (left) and Sai Namasivayam compete at the Pennsylvania Southwest Regional Science Olympiad in 2018.
Events will be contested in the Convocation Center, and in Hamer, New Science, Gallagher and Eberly halls.
The competition is broken down into 15-member teams in two divisions — grades 6-9 and 9-12. Last year, 8,000 teams completed in 450 invitational, regional, state and national tournaments.
Cal U has hosted this prestigious event for almost 30 years. Nearly 50 schools are scheduled for this year’s regional, with Cal U faculty from different academic departments serving as event supervisors.
"I believe in the value of science and wanting to foster more interest and passion for learning about it," said Dr. Swarndeep Gill, regional site director and associate professor in Cal U's Department of Earth Sciences.
“Science Olympiad gets students engaged in science outside of the classroom, and I think it’s important that they feel it was worth that extra effort.
"Having a well-run tournament goes a long way to honoring that.”
Based on a percentage of teams registered at regional sites, the highest-scoring middle school and high school teams from the region will qualify for the state competition on April 27 at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. The National Science Olympiad will be June 1 at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Science Olympiad at Cal U, including a schedule of events with locations and times, visit the event website at calu.edu/science-olympiad. Those interested in volunteering can also register on the website.
Questions can also be emailed to Gill at gill@calu.edu or regional site assistant director Samantha Mrozinski at mro7187@calu.edu.