[326] Feb. 26 Regional Science Olympiad Draws 400 Competitors

Release date: Feb. 23, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Science Olympiad contact: Dr. Pat Patterson, 615-898-5085 or ppatters@mtsu.edu

Feb. 26 Regional Science Olympiad Draws 400 Competitors

(MURFREESBORO) — Dr. Pat Patterson calls Science Olympiad “the best STEM tournament in the nation,” and the annual Regional Science Olympiad once again will bring 400 boys and girls and 100-plus volunteers to MTSU Saturday, Feb. 26.
The middle- and high-school competitors have been preparing for weeks and months for events like Awesome Aquafiers, Battery Buggy, Junkyard Challenge and Microbe Mission in the middle-school division, and Sounds of Music, Disease Detectives, Mousetrap Vehicle and Sumo Bots in the high-school division.
“Even the president (Obama) is talking about STEM,” said Patterson, an associate professor of chemistry and the Science Olympiad coordinating regional director, using the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“This is such a wonderful opportunity. Some of the building events the students are working on are wonderful. They are doing science, not just memorizing.”
Rutherford County high schools planning to send teams include La Vergne, Siegel, Blackman, Eagleville and Riverdale, along with Central Magnet School. Other high-school teams will include Hume-Fogg Academic Magnate (two teams) and University School of Nashville; Fred J. Page and Ravenwood from Williamson County; Spring Hill; and Chattanooga McCallie.
Eleven middle-school teams will compete; Blackman, Spring Hill and Stewart’s Creek plan to enter two squads each. Local middle schools also will include Cason Lane, Central Magnate, Smyrna and St. Rose of Lima. The final participating team is St. Henry’s of Nashville.
The top five schools in each division will advance to the State Science Olympiad in Knoxville on Saturday, April 2.
Numerous MTSU faculty from many campus disciplines and others are serving as coordinators for all 23 events in both divisions. Preservice teachers in Patterson’s physical science classes (PSCI 4030), MTeach and other students will volunteer their time to assist throughout the day.
Dr. Amy Phelps, an MTSU chemistry professor, has helped Patterson as associate director for years. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/MTScienceOlympiad.

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Media welcomed.

In Brief

More than 400 middle- and high-school science enthusiasts from Rutherford, Davidson, Williamson, Maury and Hamilton counties will participate in the annual Regional Science Olympiad this Saturday, Feb. 26, at MTSU. Each division has 23 events. Many MTSU faculty and others are serving as event coordinators, with more than 100 volunteers also assisting.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree — the only one in Tennessee — as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.