Judges

Judge Qualifications

Criteria for Senior Division Judges: in pursuit of a master’s degree or higher or at least five years experience in a science and/or engineering field.

Criteria for Junior Division Judges: in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree or higher. In lieu of a degree, judges may have at least three years experience in a science and/or engineering field or four years work experience in a physical or life science field. (Honor Society Undergraduates with at least three years experience in a science and/or engineering field may also volunteer to judge.) Deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 25.

Volunteer to be a judge! Project Categories and Subcategories

Judges are responsible for reviewing projects as well as providing encouragement and constructive criticism; your opinions are highly valued by these students. We expect over 1200 students participating in 20+ categories.

Judging takes place in two age groups:

Junior level (middle school students)
Senior level (high school students)

There also are two project types:

Individual (completed by a single student)
Team (completed by a team of two or three students)

Types of Judges

There are three types of judges for the Texas Science and Engineering Fair: Fair Award judges, Blue Team Award judges, and Special Award judges.

Fair Category Award Judges

Fair Category Award judges are assigned to a specific number of projects based on experience and qualifications in their field of expertise and will select first choice, second choice, etc. from one of the fair’s categories. The time commitment for a Fair Category Award judge is:

Saturday, March 30, 2019

7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. – Continental Breakfast, Registration and Assignments at A&M Conference Center & Hotel Century Ballroom
8:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. – Judge Briefing at Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center Century Ballroom
9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Judging Session in the Ford Hall of Champions (Senior Division) and All-American Club (Junior Division)
12:00 p.m. to 1 p.m. – Lunch at Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center Century Ballroom

Blue Ribbon Award Judges

Blue Ribbon Award judges will select Grand Prize and Best of Show awards from among the winners of the individual fair categories. Blue Ribbon judging will begin once all Fair Category Award judging is complete and results have been tabulated. It is possible to serve as a Fair Category Award judge and a Blue Ribbon Award judge. The time commitment for a Blue Ribbon Award judge is:

Saturday, March 30, 2019

12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Lunch at Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center Century Ballroom
1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m – Registration at Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center Century Ballroom
1:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m – Blue Ribbon Awards Judging in the Ford Hall of Champions (Senior Division) and All-American Club (Junior Division)
3:45 p.m. to 4:30 – Blue Ribbon Award final report meeting at the Presidential Lounge
4:45 p.m. – All scoring must be finished.

Special Award Judges

Each year, professional and educational organizations, representing a wide variety of disciplines, may choose to recognize participants with special awards. Judges review specific projects in relation to their organization’s scholarship or award. These organizations recruit their own judges and establish their own criteria. The time commitment for a Special Award judge is:

Saturday, March 30, 2019

7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. – Continental Breakfast, Registration and Assignments at A&M Conference Center & Hotel Century Ballroom
8:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. – Judge Briefing at Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center Century Ballroom
9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Judging Session in the Ford Hall of Champions (Senior Division) and All-American Club (Junior Division)
11:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Specific awards may be presented during this time in the Ford Hall of Champions (Senior Division) and All-American Club (Junior Division)
12:00 p.m. to 1 p.m. – Lunch at Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center Century Ballroom

Hotel Information for TXSEF Judges

Hyatt Place College Station
1100 University Drive East, College Station, TX 77840

$88+tax per night
Discounted group rate includes complimentary full hot breakfast buffet, parking, and WiFi internet access.

Booking Link: http://collegestation.place.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html?corp_id=G-JUDG.
To book your room by phone, please call (979) 846-9800 and use the group code G-JUDG or mention the group name Science and Engineering Fair Judges.

Note: Those using this discount code will be verified as judges by TXSEF officials. Anyone booking a room at this rate who is not a judge will be changed to the market value rate for the room.

Reservation deadline: Tuesday, March 19, 2019