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Information Judges Info The Fair has three sets of judges: Category Awards Judges These judges decide the Fair's own placements (first through third) in each of the categories of the Junior and Senior Divisions . Category Judging will take place during the morning of Judging Day in March (see the Schedule page). Grand Awards Judges These judges decide on the Fair's top awards in Life and Physical Sciences. Grand Awards Judging will take place during the afternoon of Judging Day in March (see the Schedule page). Special Awards (Registered Professional Societies) These judges choose among the participants based on specific criteria, as described on this page . Special Awards Judging will take place during assigned periods per organization of Judging Day in March (see the Schedule page). Judging Descriptions Category Awards Judging The Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair is an exciting and important San Diego community event that relies entirely on the generosity of our community's volunteers. The Fair will usually have over 400 science projects on display and the over 450 6th-12th graders who produced them. Being a judge is a lot more fun than you might think, mostly requiring just listening to enthusiastic young kids tell you what they did. For anyone new to judging, there is a great deal of advice regarding how to judge and what kinds of questions to ask on this page . Category Judging is always done in teams, so each team will have an experienced captain and others who can advise new judges. You don’t need to be a PhD (although we do appreciate having PhD’s on our judging teams). You do need a background in science, math, computers, or engineering (except perhaps for the Product Testing category), and a good knowledge of the scientific method. Grand Awards Judging (formerly Sweepstakes Awards Judging) These are the very best projects in the Fair. Projects recommended for Grand Award consideration are reviewed by teams of our most experienced judges during the afternoon judging session (5 or more years of experience are required). Four Grand Award and four Runners-up are selected in both Junior (6th-8th grade) and Senior (9th-12th grade) Divisions. Special Awards Judging Numerous professional societies and other organizations present Special Awards at the GSDSEF. Each provides its own judges and sets its own criteria for awards. Details are described on this page . Click here to learn more about Special Awards Judging

Early History of the Greater San Diego Science Fair (an excerpt of a "Report on the Greater San Diego Science Fair" written by Paul A. Terry, Executive Director, Greater San Diego Science Fair, 1962) A group of San Diego scientists and educators met in the spring of 1954 to discuss the possibility of having a Science Fair in San Diego. Representatives of The San Diego Union shared the enthusiasm of this group for the benefits of such a fair. The purpose of the Fair is to encourage the scientific and technical interests of young people. The Fair stimulates students to actively apply their scientific talents. Community recognition and the opportunity for exposure to scientists and scientific installations are provided in order to encourage talented youths to enter scientific careers. The San Diego Union agreed to act as a sponsor and to provide for sending of the two sweepstakes winners to the National Science Fair each year. Incident to sponsorship of the Fair, The San Diego Union entered into a promotional agreement with the National Science Fair, Washington, D.C. Accordingly, the Greater San Diego Science Fair affiliated with the National Science Fair of Science Service. The affiliating agreement provided for an executive secretary and general chairman, and the basic administration of the Fair. The first Greater San Diego Science Fair was held in 1955 at the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences on Harbor Boulevard. Space considerations limited the Fair to 53 exhibits, which were selected from a total of 100 science projects. The possibility of entering an exhibit in the Fair was extended to any student in grades 7 through 12 in a public, private, or parochial school in San Diego County. [Nowadays, entrants from grades 6 through 8 compose the junior division, and entrants from grades 9 through 12 compose the senior division] By 1956, interest in the Fair had grown to such proportions that it was decided to move the Fair to the Conference Building at Balboa Park. That year 194 projects were selected from some 750 projects viewed at 15 local and school fairs. Ten industrial, educational and military facilities offered guided tours and briefings to the students... These tours and briefings contribute to the concrete knowledge of the student, as well as providing him with an opportunity to meet scientists at work... In 1957, the Science Fair was again held in the Conference Building. The Fair had grown to 238 exhibits, which were selected from 1,200 projects... The 1959 Fair had grown to 250 exhibits, which created such a parking problem near the Conference Building that the Fair was moved in 1960 to the Federal Building in Balboa Park, where it has remained." By 1961, the Greater San Diego Science "Fair was not only as large as the National Science Fair, but of comparable quality... The boy and girl sweepstakes winners placed first and fourth at the National Science Fair-International held that year in Kansas City... Also in 1961, professional societies provided awards and "the Screening Committee was now becoming active." 324 entrants "were selected from approximately 3,000 exhibits screened at many local and school fairs." Inspirational…motivational…transformative… For over 60 years, the GSDSEF has been encouraging young minds in their pursuits that will define the next generation of scientific thought, discovery, and innovation. Pres.Obama speaks with Eric Chen about his project on influenza treatments 2014 (photo: Reuters - 27 May,'14) Robert Gonset, 14 designs a lie detector for the 1961 GSDSEF (SDUT)

Information SRC Review and Quality Screening THIS PAGE IS OUTDATED AND WILL BE REMOVED SOON; REFER INSTEAD TO THE HOW TO PARTICIPATE PAGE What is SRC Review? During the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) review, qualified scientists, engineers, and teachers review each project to determine if safe scientific and engineering practices have been followed. This process occurs BEFORE you start your project and you must have approval from the SRC BEFORE you start your project. What is Quality Screening? During quality screening, qualified scientists, engineers, and teachers review each project to determine if correct scientific and engineering practices have been followed. Quality Screening approval is required AFTER the project is done. For SRC Review: Students log into their account. Students then click on DASHBOARD in upper left hand column, then click on CREATE PROJECT which is on the right side. Students fill in all details about their project (title, materials, procedure, etc.) in TAB 1 and TAB 2. Teacher and student should review the procedure to check for any needed ISEF forms. Information can be found below and in the FORMS HELPER TAB 3 on student account. Attach any ISEF forms that are needed in TAB 4. DIGITAL Signature Procedure – TAB 5 Student fills in and signs form digitally. Parent fills in and signs form digitally. Student sends the form to the teacher to be signed digitally. The teacher/advisor will receive an email notifying him/her that there are projects to review and sign. Once the teacher/advisor signs digitally, the project will be automatically sent for SRC review. The project will be reviewed by the GSDSEF SRC and the student will receive an email with approval or a request for forms/modifications before approval is given to start. ALL Students – Do not start with your project until you have received SRC approval. Depending on the project, you will get approved, be asked to make modifications, or be asked to provide further forms. If you have questions whether your proposed project is acceptable or to clarify any safety concerns, please contact Rose Armour at rose.armour@gsdsef.org . For Quality Screening: To properly submit projects for screening, students must Go to gsdsef.org and log in to their account. Go to the My Project link on the left side of the screen. Click on to the Tab 6 Digital Presentation Upload On the top of Tab 6 will be the Digital Presentation Template if you have not already downloaded it and used it. When completed and saved as a pdf file , upload your Digital Presentation in Tab 6. After uploading your Digital Presentation, click SUBMIT TO QUALITY SCREENING The project will then be screened. The student will receive an email as to the status of the project. Helpful Tools: 2026 Digital presentation template(2) .pptx Download PPTX • 95KB Digital Presentation Example .pdf Download PDF • 682KB What_screeners_are_looking_for_in_a_gsdsef_project_2 .pdf Download PDF • 70KB Results of Quality Screening: There are three possible outcomes from the screening process. Students and teachers will hear back directly about the results, which typically takes about a week. Approved/Recommended Based on the quality of the science, engineering, or coding, the project merits participation in the GSDSEF. Students will then go to TAB 7 Abstract and follow the directions for uploading the abstract. Not Approved / Not Recommended Based on the factors listed below, the project has been NOT Recommended to participate in the GSDSEF. Students will not be able to apply to this year's GSDSEF. project is demonstration of principle or a report project has too many inadequacies- Please see "What Screeners are Looking for" above. project violates GSDSEF rules Resubmit with Modifications The overall quality of the project is good, but in order to be acceptable, modifications required by the Screener must be carried out and sent back to be re-screened by the deadline. The original screener then decides whether the project will be Approved/Recommended or NOT Recommended. The student will receive an email listing the changes that need to be made. Project is resubmitted. If accepted, you will apply to the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair: Once you are accepted and have uploaded your Abstract (TAB 7), you will then proceed to TAB 8 for the Review and Payment. Fee Payment must be submitted and received by the Fair deadline in order to complete the entire process. The student will receive an email when the whole process is completed and paid. 1) All individual payments must be done with a credit card. 2) School PO's-- If a school or school district is paying for the students to participate in the GSDSEF, the teacher or school official must contact the GSDSEF Fair Director to approve the PO and receive a code for students to complete the payment process. 3) If an individual is unable to pay via electronic methods, please contact Steve Rodecker at steve.rodecker@gsdsef.org within 3 days of receiving notification of being recommended to the GSDSEF for alternative payment method directions. NOTE: If you are a team project, each member submits his/her own separate application and fee payment. Please follow all deadlines! Students who submit their application and fees after the application deadline will not be entered in the Student Exhibitor Directory and Information. The GSDSEF Application fee is $ 50 PER STUDENT.

Information FAQs Frequently Asked Questions about Special Awards Judging at the Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair Basics & Registration What is a "Special Award"? Formerly known as Professional Society Awards, these are honors given independently by outside organizations (businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, etc.). How does an organization sign up? Contact Sejal Pabari, Special Awards Coordinator, at sejal.pabari@gsdsef.org . Provide a brief overview of your organization, your judging criteria, and the planned prize. How do individual judges sign up? Judging teams are assembled by the Judging Captain through their specific Organization, not the GSDSEF website. Once you have joined a team, you will be asked to register individually on the zFairs website . This will allow you to preview projects ahead of the judging day. Logistics: When & Where Date: Wednesday of Fair Week (typically the 2nd or 3rd week of March). [ See Full Schedule ]. In-Person Location: Typically at Balboa Park Activity Center (BPAC) - 2145 Park Boulevard San Diego, CA 92101. Carpooling is strongly recommended. Virtual Judging: Conducted via gsdsef.zfairs.com . No interviews; winners are selected based on digital materials (abstracts/slides). Winners list is due by 4:00 PM on Judging Day. Preparing for Judging Day Finding Projects: Use the zFairs Student Showcase 1 - 2 weeks before the Fair to preview abstracts and search by keywords. Your Judging Captain may also receive a spreadsheet of abstracts ahead of time. What to Bring: Writing instruments and a clipboard. Note paper or your organization’s specific judging forms. Your Judging Captain’s cell phone number Note: A lanyard and ID badge will be provided on-site. You will not be permitted to enter the BPAC without your lanyard Dress Code: Wear comfortable walking shoes: While students wear professional attire, judges are not required to do so. We encourage wearing your organization’s pins or badges. On-Site Procedures Check-In/Out: Only the Judging Captain needs to check in at the GSDSEF desk to collect team materials and check out to submit final winner forms. Finding Your Team: The BPAC is loud and cell reception can be spotty. Make arrangements to meet your team outside the building or for lunch before entering. Building Access: You must wear your provided lanyard to enter. If you arrive late, call your Captain to walk you in. Food & Water: No food or drink (except capped water bottles) is allowed in the judging area. No meals are sold on-site. We recommend teams plan a group lunch nearby before or after judging. Judges’ Caucus Area: A limited seating area is available on a first-come, first-served basis. You are welcome to bring folding chairs or blankets for outdoor team discussions. Interacting with Students Be Supportive: Many students (especially younger ones) are nervous. Introduce yourself, your organization, and use open-ended questions. Time Management: Limit interviews to 5–7 minutes . Be mindful of other judges waiting to speak with students at popular projects. Maintain Suspense: Do not tell a student they have won. We want them to be surprised at the Awards Ceremony. Photos: You may take photos with the student's permission (they have signed media releases). To avoid "tipping off" winners, mention you are photographing many students. Business Cards/Fliers: Only hand these out if you have enough for every student you interview to avoid showing bias. GSDSEF’s standard rubric and other judging resources can be found here: Additional Judging Resources Choosing & Contacting Winners Reporting Winners: Your Judging Captain submits one winner form. You will receive a printed list of student contact information on the spot. Initial Contact: Do not reach out until after the Awards Ceremony. Once the fair concludes, please send a "Congratulations" email or next-step instructions as soon as possible so students aren't left wondering. The "End of April" Deadline: Students are instructed to contact the GSDSEF if they haven't heard from their awarding organization by the end of April . Reaching out to your winners in a timely manner helps us avoid unnecessary back-and-forth. Prize Delivery: Organizations are responsible for delivering prizes. You may mail them, leave them at the GSDSEF for weekend pickup, or invite winners to your own organization's symposium or board meeting. Incorrect Info: If student contact info is wrong, email sejal.pabari@gsdsef.org for assistance. Still have questions? Contact Special Awards Lead Sejal Pabari at sejal.pabari@gsdsef.org.

Teachers SRC Review and Quality Screening What is SRC Review? During the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) review, qualified scientists, engineers, and teachers review each project to determine if safe scientific and engineering practices have been followed. This process occurs BEFORE you start your project and you must have approval from the SRC BEFORE you start your project. What is Quality Screening? During quality screening, qualified scientists, engineers, and teachers review each project to determine if correct scientific and engineering practices have been followed. Quality Screening approval is required AFTER the project is done. For SRC Review: 1. Log into student account. 2. Students then click on DASHBOARD in upper left hand column then click on CREATE PROJECT which is on the right side. 3. Fill in all details about their project (title, materials, procedure, etc.) in TAB 1 and TAB 2 . Teacher and student should review the procedure to check for ISEF forms needed. Information can be found at FORMS HELPER (TAB 3 on student account) Attach any ISEF forms that are needed in TAB 4. 5. DIGITAL Signature Procedure-- TAB 5 a) Student fills in and signs form digitally. b) Parent fills in and signs form digitally. c) Student sends the form to the teacher to be signed digitally. d) The teacher/advisor will receive an email notifying him/her that there are projects to review and sign. Once the teacher/advisor signs digitally, the project will be automatically sent for SRC review. The project will be reviewed by the GSDSEF SRC and the student will receive an email with approval or a request for forms/modifications before approval is given to start. ALL Students--Do not start with your project until you have received SRC approval. Depending on the project, you will get approved, be asked to make modifications, or be asked to provide further forms. If you have questions whether your proposed project is acceptable or to clarify any safety concerns, please contact Rose Armour at rose.armour@gsdsef.org For Quality Screening: To properly submit projects for screening, students must Go to gsdsef.org and log in to their account. Go to the My Project link on the left side of the screen. Click on to the Tab 6 Digital Presentation Upload On the top of Tab 6 will be the Digital Presentation Template if you have not already downloaded it and used it. When completed and saved as a pdf file , upload your Digital Presentation in Tab 6. After uploading your Digital Presentation, click SUBMIT TO QUALITY SCREENING The project will then be screened. The student will receive an email as to the status of the project. Helpful Tools: 2026 Digital presentation template(2) .pptx Download PPTX • 95KB Digital Presentation Example .pdf Download PDF • 682KB What_screeners_are_looking_for_in_a_gsdsef_project_2 .pdf Download PDF • 70KB Results of Quality Screening: There are three possible outcomes from the screening process. Students and teachers will hear back directly about the results, which typically takes about a week. Approved/Recommended Based on the quality of the science, engineering, or coding, the project merits participation in the GSDSEF. Students will then go to TAB 7 Abstract and follow the directions for uploading the abstract. Not Approved / Not Recommended Based on the factors listed below, the project has been NOT Recommended to participate in the GSDSEF. Students will not be able to apply to this year's GSDSEF. project is demonstration of principle or a report project has too many inadequacies- Please see "What Screeners are Looking for" above. project violates GSDSEF rules Resubmit with Modifications The overall quality of the project is good, but in order to be acceptable, modifications required by the Screener must be carried out and sent back to be re-screened by the deadline. The original screener then decides whether the project will be Approved/Recommended or NOT Recommended. The student will receive an email listing the changes that need to be made. Project is resubmitted. If accepted, you will apply to the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair: Once you are accepted and have uploaded your Abstract (TAB 7), you will then proceed to TAB 8 for the Review and Payment. Fee Payment must be submitted and received by the Fair deadline in order to complete the entire process. The student will receive an email when the whole process is completed and paid. 1) All individual payments must be done with a credit card. 2) School PO's-- If a school or school district is paying for the students to participate in the GSDSEF, the teacher or school official must contact the GSDSEF Fair Director to approve the PO and receive a code for students to complete the payment process. 3) If an individual is unable to pay via electronic methods, please contact Steve Rodecker at steve.rodecker@gsdsef.org within 3 days of receiving notification of being recommended to the GSDSEF for alternative payment method directions. NOTE: If you are a team project, each member submits his/her own separate application and fee payment. Please follow all deadlines! Students who submit their application and fees after the application deadline will not be entered in the Student Exhibitor Directory and Information. The GSDSEF Application fee is $ 50 PER STUDENT.

SLB SLB Members 2025-2026 Student Leadership Board 2026-2027 update coming soon! Board Officers: President - Arnav Dagar Vice President of Outreach - Shounak Ray Chaudhuri Vice President of Activities - William Gao Secretary - Adhiban Arulselvan Treasurer - Steven Chen 2025-26 SLB Members: First Name Last Name School Omar Abdulaziz Scripps Ranch High School Alexander Allport La Jolla High School Medha Aravind Del Norte High School Adhiban Arulselvan Scripps Ranch High School Dhruv Bantval Canyon Crest Academy Maya Bantval Canyon Crest Academy Mihir Bapat Del Norte High School Harshini Bharadwaj Not stated Charles Brum Cathedral Catholic High School Abhiram Chalamalasetty Canyon Crest Academy Shounak Ray Chaudhuri Francis Parker Hayden Chen Del Norte High School Steven Chen Canyon Crest Academy Zoey Chen Not stated Aaron Cooper Canyon Crest Academy Arnav Dagar Canyon Crest Academy Anabia Ehsan Not stated Leanne Fan Westview High School William Gao Canyon Crest Academy Risha Guha Del Norte High School David He Westview High School Abby Hensley Chula Vista High School Ethan Hu The Bishop's School Lucy Huang Torrey Pines High School Reema Jasim Not stated Jolina Jian Canyon Crest Academy Yaalini Kathir Canyon Crest Academy Riya Khushu Francis Parker Rebecca Leeman Torah High School Jaelyn Liang Westview High School Ricky Lim Canyon Crest Academy Anna Luo Canyon Crest Academy Tanya Mandyam Westview High School Ashwin Mantravadi Del Norte High School Nalin Marwah Del Norte High School Jeyanth Narayan Parthasarathy Canyon Crest Academy Janeiro Perry Health Sciences High & Middle College Tanvi Pyla Canyon Crest Academy Advita Rajagopalan Del Norte High School Parth Saxena Scripps Ranch High School Ritam Sen Francis Parker Ihan Sung Eastlake High School Siri Tipirneni Canyon Crest Academy Ella Xing The Bishop's School Henry Xu Torrey Pines High School Kailin Xuan The Bishop's School Matthew Yang The Cambridge School Lilian Zeng Del Norte High School Sophie Zeng The Bishop's School Amber Zhang The Bishop's School Amy Zhang Westview High School Austin Zhang Del Norte High School Elvin Zhang Del Norte High School Virginia Zhu Del Norte High School Ryan Zoch Rancho Bernardo High School For questions or information on our workshops, project advice/peer mentoring, and other Student Leadership Activities, please CONTACT US at: gsdsefslb@gmail.com For all other questions and information, please use the Contact Us button at the bottom of the webpage. SLB Advisor and Supervisor: Mr. Steve Rodecker, Fair Executive Director Emeritus, steve.rodecker@gsdsef.org

Board of Directors Dr. Earl Williams, BOD President, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command Mr. Sany Zakharia, BOD Treasurer, Qualcomm Ms. Vickie Driver, Zim Biosciences Dr. Donna Kritz-Silverstein, UCSD Mr. Sam Ferguson, Lockheed Martin another name Management Committee Steve Rodecker, Fair Executive Director Sany Zakharia, GSDSEF Treasurer/Fundraiser Officers *Board Members Emeritus* Phil Gay Wendy Gay Student Leadership Board Management Committee Member Arnav Dagar, SLB President Board of Directors Meeting Dates TBD Liaisons Mrs. Shirley Miranda, San Diego City Schools, Liaison to the California Science and Engineering Fair Mr. John Spiegel, San Diego County Office of Education Liaison The Management Committee is a group of volunteers who give their time and expertise to coordinate and produce the Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair.

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The 75th International Science and Engineering Fair The 75th Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) was held during the week of May 10-16, 2025, in Columbus, OH. Ten students from the GSDSEF participated, winning several awards. Click here for the ISEF website with results, press release, and more.

Information Judging and Awards The GSDSEF has three types of judging with various awards: Categorical Judging – PLACE AWARDS Category Judges decide the GSDSEF’s award placements (first, second, third, and fourth place) in 15+1 different categories, based on scientific merit using specified criteria. Categorical judging takes place in the morning. There are 15 categories in Senior Division and Junior Division has one additional category. GSDSEF Categories and Descriptions All students are given a Certificate of Merit for participating. All students receive a Place Award ribbon on-stage at the Awards Ceremony. Grand Awards Judging – GRAND AWARDS Teams of Grand Awards Judges review projects that have been recommended by the Category Judges for Grand Awards consideration. Grand Awards judging takes place in the afternoon and Grand Awards Judges must be willing to stay until at least 3 p.m. the day of Judging. Four Grand Awards and four Grand Award Runners-up are selected in the Junior Division (6th-8th grade) and receive cash awards and a plaque/trophy. Four Grand Award Runners-Up/Alternates are selected in the Senior Division (9th -12th grade) and each receive a cash award and a plaque. Four Grand Award Winners are selected in the Senior Division. Each receives a college scholarship award, an engraved plaque, and the opportunity to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Special Awards and Judging Over 100 Professional Societies and other organizations provide their own judges and each set their own criteria for awards. Professional Societies/Organizations judge student projects during the afternoon of judging day. GSDSEF Special Award Sponsors and Award Criteria Professional Societies and organizations provide their own awards - ribbons, certificates, or plaques, and/or monetary scholarships. Awards may be left with the GSDSEF for distribution directly to students or the Professional Society may arrange another method to present their awards. Several of the Professional Societies present their awards at their own banquets or board meetings and certain organizations/companies present their Special Awards on stage at the Awards Ceremony. Professional Societies and Organizations Awards list is passed out at the Awards Ceremony and their names are listed on screen before Awards Ceremony begins. SPECIAL AWARDS given by Professional Societies are presented on-stage at the Awards Ceremony. These include the BD Awards, Fred H. Rohr Award, Ronald E. Domb Memorial Award, Mickey Award, Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG) Awards, Reuben H. Fleet Awards, San Diego Zoo Global Awards, and Student Leadership Award. Other Special Awards may also be presented on stage. NOTE: Judging Team Projects In judging a team project in comparison to one done by an individual, it is fair to have a higher expectation of the team project regarding the overall level of effort involved in the project. Team projects have greater resources (the number of minds working together) and therefore a greater capacity for more research and data collection, more time, effort, and thought spent on the project, as well as more/in-depth analysis than someone acting alone. This should be evident in the project. There should also be evidence of team collaboration and synergy among team members (which should become evident during the interview process). Who are the Category and Grand Awards Judges? Category judges are scientists, engineers, computer science/technology specialists, professors, and other professionals, whether currently working, or retired. They are community members who are interested in encouraging the young people of San Diego and Imperial Counties to consider a career in science, engineering, technology, or mathematics. Grand Awards judges have 7 or more years of experience in judging science fairs. Awards are announced at the Annual Awards Ceremony. ALL students receive their place awards ribbons on stage culminating with the Grand Awards Winners announcement.

The 75th California Science and Engineering Fair The 75th California Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) was held on Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, 2026, at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA. Click here for the GSDSEF press release about the 40 CSEF awards earned by GSDSEF students, including several of the top prizes.

The 71st Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair The 71st Greater San Diego Science And Engineering Fair was held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at the Balboa Park Activity Center, 2145 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA. Click here for the Fair Directory, Category and Special Awards listings, and Awards Ceremony program and slides.