Edition 9

October 2025

Welcome to your peek behind the scenes at MSEF.

We’ve kicked off a new academic year of discovery with new schools, new tools, and new faces!

This fall, excitement is building across Massachusetts as more schools engage with the MSEF community. We’re thrilled to be having planning conversations with B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Discovery Polytech Early College High School in Springfield, Lowell Community Charter School, Barnstable Intermediate School plus others!

Each time we partner with a new school, opportunity for students to explore independent STEM research is expanded!

In this edition of the Insider, you’ll find:



• Team Update – welcoming Emma, our new Volunteer Coordinator
• Program Highlights – new resources for teachers and students
• In the Classroom – how projects are taking shape this fall

ICYMI: MSEF in the Boston Business Journal, the 2024–25 MSEF Impact Report, and Student Symposium highlights.

We’re thrilled to welcome Emma Roth (they/them) to the MSEF team as our Volunteer Coordinator.

Volunteers power every part of MSEF—from judging and coaching to workshops and committees—and Emma will be helping us build on that strong foundation. Their work will further strengthen our volunteer network and positively impact the student experience across all MSEF programming.

Science Fair Ready Teacher Toolkit

Over the summer, educators collaborated with MSEF to launch our new Teacher Toolkit, a classroom-ready resource that’s both comprehensive and flexible.

Organized into Teacher Prep, Observe, Plan, Explore, and Explain phases, it guides students—and teachers—step by step through the research process.

And of course, MSEF staff are always just a click or call away, ready to provide support and answer questions as teachers help students navigate their unique STEM journey.

Student Access to MATLAB

We are excited to share that thanks to our partnership with MathWorks, MSEF can now provide free MATLAB individual licenses to Massachusetts science fair students in grades 8–12 (with teacher approval).

Students can use the same powerful tools as professional scientists and engineers, taking their research and analysis to the next level. MSEF will also offer free info sessions, guiding students through MATLAB fundamentals and its applications in statistics and data analysis with interactive, hands-on examples.

Intro To: A Webinar Series

Helping students see how classroom curiosity connects to real-world science is at the heart of what we do. In this new virtual series, MSEF is hosting STEM professionals who share what science fair projects look like in their fields, addressing questions such as:

• “What does this field do?” 
• “What do science fair projects in this field typically look like?” 
• “What are ethical or safety considerations for student research?” 
• “What are recommendations for research papers or accessible resources to explore?” 

This series includes:

• Intro to Social Science Projects with Freya, PhD candidate at University College London and MSEF Alumna

• Intro to Molecular Biology Projects with Dr. Nicole Barkley, Director at Merck and MSEF Board Member 

• Intro to Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Projects with Jon Siddall, Fellow at Cabot Corporation and long-time MSEF Judge 

• Intro to Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Projects with Srikanth Kapali, Engineer at MathWorks and Statewide SRC Reviewer 

• Intro to Math and Computational Modeling Projects with Wesley Hamilton, Senior Software Engineer at PTC, and an ISEF and MSEF judge

Students are busy observing, questioning, and exploring as they dive into Phase 1: Developing Project Focus. From narrowing ideas to identifying materials and project type, it’s full steam ahead toward discovery!

While not all students progress at the same pace, momentum is building—project submissions to our Scientific Review Committee are already picking up as many begin transitioning into Phase 2: Research Planning, mapping out their path to success and anticipating challenges before they arise.

Below: Photos from a recent visit to Westfield High.

We couldn’t do this without you! To all our funders and partners—thank you for helping us spark curiosity, empower educators, and open doors for the next generation of innovators.

Your investment creates real impact across Massachusetts classrooms and communities. See the difference you’re making in our latest Impact Report.

Want to be part of our next chapter? Our 2026 Sponsorship Brochure highlights how your company can help support our work.

Thank you to Analog Devices for their long-standing support of the MSEF community. Your mission to “bridge the physical and digital worlds” through innovation in signal processing and connectivity aligns beautifully with the scientific curiosity and technological exploration our students engage in.

We’re grateful for your partnership and the many ways your employees support our students!

We deeply appreciate MITRE’s continued support. We were honored this year to recognize and award a well deserving student with the MITRE Computer Science & Technology Excellence Award!

MITRE's recent participation at our Student Symposium allowed us to show students how their independent research can connect to real-world technology and applications. Thank you for being a part of our community!

A special thank-you to Revvity for increasing your support of MSEF this year. Your purpose “to expand the boundaries of human potential through science" captures the spirit of independent research that our students undertake. With your backing, we are helping students imagine what’s possible, experiment boldly, and grow as young researchers.

We’re grateful to Teradyne for your long-term support of MSEF and your ongoing commitment to advancing STEM education. Your support helps students explore new ideas, develop skills, and gain confidence in pursuing independent STEM research. Together we are inspiring curiosity and helping young innovators grow across Massachusetts.

Opportunity doesn’t happen alone—thank you for being part of the MSEF story! Together, we’re giving young people the chance to explore STEM, test ideas, and grow through discovery.

We’ll be back in December with more updates from across the state. Until then, I invite you to visit our website or join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Sarah Thomas

Development Manager

sthomas@scifair.com

What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?



Pumpkin pi!

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Advancing science and engineering literacy since 1949, the Massachusetts Science & Engineering Fair (MSEF) was founded by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, MIT professors, and a group of pioneering K-12 science educators. 

MSEF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. EIN (04-2707499)