A GRAND EXPERIMENT: FAIR OFFERS GLIMPSE AT STUDENT SCIENTISTS

Melissa Engelen doesn't just know how to spell Bacillus thuringensis, she's worked with it.

In fact, the Leopold High School senior has experimented with the bacteria for four years now. The bacteria forms the centerpiece of experiments she has entered in the Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair.

The 38th annual science fair opens today and runs through Thursday at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Cape Girardeau.

Science fairs are nothing new to Engelen. She has attended the regional science fair for the past six years, beginning in seventh grade.

The past two years, she has been a regional winner, going on to the International Science Fair where she has competed with hundreds of other high school students from around the world.

"It's just fun, going and seeing all the different projects and learning the things different students are doing," said Engelen. "I just like the competition."

"She likes to investigate things," science teacher Cheryl Macke said of her student. "She is always asking questions. You have to be a good questioner before you can be a good scientist, I think."

Macke is used to having good science students. "We had four first place winners last year in the (regional science fair) senior division," she noted.

Outwardly, Engelen has all the appearance of a typical blue-jeans clad student -- no white lab coat for her. But throw in a microscope, Petri dishes, bacteria and bug larvae, and one sees a student scientist at work.

Engelen's high school experiments have focused on four agricultural pests: mealworms, tobacco hornworms, milkweed bugs and flour beetles.

"It interested me because I am a farmer's daughter," explained Engelen, the oldest of seven children.

Engelen wondered if Bacillus thuringensis, a mold-like bacteria, could be used instead of chemicals to kill agricultural pests. Her experiments showed that the bacteria can work with some types of insects.

This year's regional science fair promises to be one of the largest ever, with 249 entries from students in grades 7-12.

The fair is sponsored by the Southeast Missourian, Southeast Missouri State University and Environmental Analysis South Inc. of Cape Girardeau.

In recent years, the Show Me Center has been the site of the science fair.

But chemist Ruth Hathaway, who is co-director of the regional science fair, said she hopes the Holiday Inn site will attract more visitors.

"We are trying to get more people to come through it," said Hathaway. "The Show Me Center is wonderful and everything, but it is a little more removed."

Hathaway said admission is free. The exhibits will be open to the public from 6-9 p.m. today, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday. The awards banquet will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Hathaway said the science fair offers the general public a first-hand look at the scientific accomplishments of area students.

"They will be impressed with what is going on in our schools and what these students are coming up with," said Hathaway. "We've got one student who has been published in a medical journal for his project."

Those who visit the fair will also see a first-class exhibit from the Chemical Heritage Foundation, based in Pennsylvania.

Called "Structures of Life," the traveling exhibit features 12 large panels, extending 40 feet.

"It is really neat. It shows the very first microscope. People will be shocked if they knew how little the first microscope was. You could hold it in the palm of your hand," Hathaway said.

The panels also focus on other scientific matters, including information about viruses.

"They are big panels that show different things that are being done. It is geared toward lay people," said Hathaway.

Science fair visitors will be able to vote for the exhibits they like best, with the popularity winner to be announced Thursday night.

The regional science fair has two divisions, the senior division for students in grades 9-12, and the junior division for students in grades 7-9. Ninth graders can compete in either category. The fair has about 80 judges.

The local science fair is one of 415 such fairs worldwide. The two regional winners from each of those fairs compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair, which will be held this year at Birmingham, Ala.

The international fair annually involves more than 800 exhibits and thousands of students.

Although there is no major speaker this year, Cape Girardeau's science fair has attracted some notable individuals in the past, said Hathaway.

Glenn Seaborg, a Nobel-prize winning scientist and the first living person to have an element named after him, was the featured speaker at the science fair about 10 years ago.

Hathaway is right at home with science fairs. She has been involved with science fairs for 26 years, first as a student and later as a judge and then a director.

Hathaway, who grew up in Ohio, first competed in a science fair when she was in sixth grade.

Her first project was on the spleen. Her interest was sparked by a classmate who suffered a ruptured spleen, she recalled. "So I wanted to know what a spleen was," said Hathaway.

Her interest in science ultimately fostered a career. Today, she's the quality control director for the Environmental Analysis lab. The company tests everything from soil to drinking water.

But Hathaway still finds time for science fairs and the scientists of tomorrow. She said she enjoys "seeing the kids who win" and helping foster interest in science.

For Hathaway, Engelen and others, science fairs are a truly successful experiment.