Krupa Patel represented Greenville Middle School well by claiming fourth place in the statewide Alabama Science and Engineering Fair, held on April 7 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

The Alabama Science and Engineering Fair is the state’s premier forum for students to present their original research, compete for a wealth of awards (including scholarships to the University of Alabama in Huntsville, travel and cash prizes), and interact with professional scientists from UAH, NASA, the US Army and several local research companies.

Patel, an eighth-grader at Greenville Middle School, earned her ticket to statewide competition by winning at the school-wide, district-wide and region-wide levels.  She won Best in Show at the district level, which took her to Auburn University’s regional competition where her project earned her a second-place prize. 

Patel’s project was an exhaustively researched physical and chemical science presentation concerning proteins.

She also won the Society of Women in Sciences and Mathematics Achievement Award, and was nominated to attend the Broadcom science fair, which is another highly recommended science fair for students to attend.

Alabama’s science fair system aims to not only recognize students for their achievements, but also to prepare students to succeed and flourish in an increasingly complex and technological world by becoming problem solvers, critical thinkers, reflective learners and more productive and influential members of their community.

The Alabama Science and Engineering Fair is held annually on the first Friday in April, and features thousands of students each year who compete in local science fairs across the state, who then advanced to compete in one of five regional fairs.

Top entries at the regional fairs are then invited to attend the ASEF, where a select number of senior division projects will be chosen to advance for an all-expenses-paid trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles on May 14-19.