Future STEM leaders take center stage at Alabama Science and Engineering Fair
ASEF 2026 brought together student researchers, educators and families for a day of discovery, competition and community.
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ISEF Alumni hold a panel discussion to offer advice and share their journeys with ASEF participants.
ASEF participants at the STEM Expo visit the Math Carnival tables.
Auburn University President Christopher Roberts interacts with the Breadboard Company Exhibit at the ASEF STEM is Everywhere Expo.
On April 11, more than 1,000 students, educators, families and STEM professionals gathered at Auburn University for the 2026 Alabama Science and Engineering Fair (ASEF). ASEF is hosted by the College of Sciences and Mathematics Outreach in partnership with the I-STEM Connectory. ASEF was made possible through the support of 15 sponsoring organizations, including eight Auburn University colleges, along with hundreds of judges and volunteers committed to student success.
“What makes ASEF truly special is the people behind it,” said state fair director Jessica Gilpin, Ph.D. “Auburn University and our community partners go far beyond financial support, they show up as judges, mentors, ambassadors and advocates for students. This year, recognizing the College of Liberal Arts with our Champion of STEM Award exemplified that spirit. The engagement of their faculty and students remind us that STEM is everywhere and it thrives when an entire campus and community come together for young people.”
More than 230 student researchers defended months, sometimes even years, of experimentation, failure and persistence before 175 volunteer judges. Their work earned more than $30,000 in prizes and 4 bids to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), taking place this May.
During the awards ceremony, Auburn University President Christopher B. Roberts encouraged students to continue embracing challenges by using their talents to make a difference.
“Keep being curious. Keep doing the hard things,” he said. “Our state, nation and world need your intellect and curiosity.”
For many students, ASEF was as much about sharing their journey as it was about the results.
That sense of connection resonated across the competition. Returning participant and Best of Fair winner Saisha Sahoo described ASEF as something much bigger than awards.
Teachers of ASEF participants traveled from across the state to cheer on their students.
Aubie challenges an ASEF participant to a robotics duel during the STEM Expo.
ASEF participant gets judged on his project “Responsive Aero.”
The winners of best projects in the Junior Division are eligible to compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge national competition.
“I love coming here for the people. We have an amazing STEM community,” she said. “It’s so empowering to see the diversity in STEM. For me, this experience is about sharing my project.”
Her research on coal ash ponds — an environmental issue with global implications — will now take her to the international stage at ISEF, where she hopes to continue raising awareness. “This isn’t just an Alabama problem,” she said. “It impacts the entire world.”
From their initial research questions and experimentation, ASEF reflects the growth students experience as they find their confidence and voice in STEM.
That growth is exactly what long-time educators like Virginia Vilardi, Ph.D. have witnessed for decades. Alabama ISEF coordinator and science fair mentor since the 1990s, Vilardi has seen generations of students evolve.
“It’s exciting to watch students go from being shy freshmen at a large, overwhelming competition to confident seniors ready to take the stage,” Vilardi said. “Then years later, I get to see them earning doctoral degrees or becoming professionals. This experience helps set the stage for their lives.”
That full-circle impact was visible throughout the event, including among returning alumni. Former ISEF participant Danika Louw, who now serves as an ASEF judge, emphasized the importance of curiosity and perseverance.
“Science and engineering fair gives you an outlet to take an idea to completion,” she said. “No one is an expert right away. It takes trial and error.”
Discovery extended beyond the competition during a 2-hour STEM Expo, where more than 75 exhibitors offered 35 hands-on STEM learning stations. For many in attendance, the takeaway was clear: ASEF is not just about projects, but it is about connecting people, building curiosity and fostering a love for science.
“At its core,” one attendee shared, “ASEF leaves you feeling really good about the future.”
