The year 2000 was a game-changer for the Southern Arizona Research, Science, and Engineering Foundation’s annual science fair.

Catalina Foothills High School joined the competition for the first time, and Vanessa Crawford’s project studying whether Cyanobacteria could survive Mars-like conditions snagged second place at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Detroit.

Crawford, totally hyped on space, dreamed of becoming an astronaut and jetting off to Mars by 2025.

The early 2000s saw students geeking out over coding, building websites with HTML and CSS, and running plant experiments under neon grow lights. Space was also a hot topic, especially since 2000 was the year the first crew moved into the International Space Station. This sparked a wave of student projects inspired by space and tech, setting the stage for the next big trends in science fairs.

By 2003, SARSEF had leveled up big time. More than 1,100 projects were judged by 240 experts. Among the showstoppers was Liz Baker’s deep dive into personality traits in chimpanzees, proving that — at just 14 — she was already ahead of the curve in psychology and biology. Meanwhile, Matthew Mokler’s search robot highlighted the growing buzz around automation and robotics.

That same year, the Human Genome Project wrapped up, and genetics became the new cool kid on the block. Across science fairs nationwide, students ran experiments on antibacterial products and debated book-based learning versus the rising trend of digital education.

Fast-forward to 2005, when SARSEF hit a major milestone: its 50th anniversary.

With 1,350 projects and over 1,600 students, the research game was stronger than ever. Meghan Sarkozi and Robert McManimon explored the influence of zinc on lead strength, while Kryste and Ariel Potter studied oxidative stress and insulin resistance. Liz Baker, still on her research grind, combined psychology with engineering in a project about therapy swings for kids with ADHD.

That year’s SARSEF competition was next-level, with more than 60 students from grades five through eight nominated for the Discovery Channel’s Young Scientist Challenge. Meanwhile, YouTube launched, shaking up how people accessed and shared info, a shift that young scientists were quick to use to their advantage.

By 2008, SARSEF was poppin’ off as a major event, with 3,000 students and 1,300 projects.

But one moment really hit different, when a young girl asked her mom, “Why are all the winners boys?” 

That question sparked SARSEF’s mission to boost diversity in STEM, pushing for more representation of girls and minorities in science. 

These efforts led to the creation more than a decade ago of SARSEF’s Applied Career Exploration in STEM camp for middle school girls from the Sunnyside Unified School District.

The week-long event, held every July, introduces campers to a wide variety of careers, provides a path to potential success and lays a foundation for STEM identity in higher education and beyond.

More than 500 campers have participated in the program, with alumni working as engineers, scientists and more.

As the 2000s wrapped up, SARSEF had cemented itself as a powerhouse for young scientists in Southern Arizona. 

From space projects to robotics, genetics to environmental science, students kept it fresh, adapting to the evolving science scene while making sure their research stayed cutting-edge.

The decade proved that SARSEF wasn’t just about winning, it was about pushing boundaries and making science cool for the next generation.

Angelina Maynes is a University of Arizona alum and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact her at angelinamaynes@arizona.edu.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please support our work with a paid subscription.