Ethan Wilson Participated in Buena Vista University's Eleventh Annual Scholars Day

2015 May 22

Buena Vista University's eleventh annual Scholars Day was held Friday, April 24. The event provided students from all disciplines an opportunity to present their best presentations, original research, academic posters, artistic creations and performances to their peers, professors and the public.

This year's Scholars Day event featured 43 presentations from 86 students, exploring topics from art and business to science and history.

Ethan Wilson, a senior biology major from Spirit Lake, was one of the students who participated. Wilson's presentation was titled Macroinvertebrate bacterial resistance to triclosan at the Outlet Creek (IA) WWTP outfall and potential for downstream resistance migration, and the project's abstract is as follows:

Triclosan is an antibiotic that has been found in waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluent water, with about 5% being released back into local bodies of water (Waltman et. al, 2006). This is significant because of the possible effects on the environment caused by triclosan’s behavior to negate the pathway of lipid production in certain organisms (bacteria and algae). A greater concern is that this antibiotic can cause the push towards triclosan-resistant bacteria in areas of high triclosan concentrations. Among the bacteria sampled in this study, there was shown to be an inhibition towards triclosan in the upstream water, but at the outfall where the triclosan level was 0.03007 ppb and methyl-triclosan level was 0.06265 ppb there were relatively high levels of resistant bacteria. Downstream bacteria sampled showed an increased resistance compared to that of the upstream, and a similar amount to that of the outfall. The downstream triclosan levels measured 0.00997 ppb and the methy-triclosan levels measured 0.00485 ppb. These results suggest that the bacterial resistance to triclosan may be carried further downstream as the bacteria are moved along Outlet Creek from the WWTP outfall.

Wilson also had a second presentation titled: Macroinvertebrate Concentrations on Opposing Borders of Castor canadensis Establishments. The abstract for this presentation is as follows:

Biological, physical, and chemical assessments were conducted on an upstream and downstream American beaver dam site during April, 2014 in Buena Vista County, IA. Data were further analyzed for macroinvertebrate diversity to determine stream health. Methods included using a D-frame kick-net for macroinvertebrate collections, with the specific goal of identifying richness and abundance of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT). These three Orders are used to quantify EPT levels and to develop an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI). Using data collected from not only EPT levels, but also physical stream characteristics, the IBI water quality comparison of the two sites resulted in the upstream site being “fair” and downstream being “poor.” The research hypothesis stating that the American beaver dam would have a positive effect on the downstream water quality was not supported. Due to the agricultural land use conditions of the local watershed, the stream system showed signs of degradation, which may have resulted in low macroinvertebrate diversity and overall low IBI scores. Further and more extensive assessments would need to be conducted for better accuracy.

The keynote speaker for the event was Jeff Anderson, Class of 2003, who is the executive director of communications for the Minnesota Vikings. Anderson is entering his thirteenth season with the Vikings and plays a lead role in the organization's external and strategic communications.

"For some Scholars Day is the culmination of their work at BVU, and for others it becomes the springboard that sends them into a field they had not previously anticipated," said Dr. Steven Mills, assistant professor of Spanish and chair of the events committee who organized the event. "Either way, those who participate find in it a valuable growing experience and a strong sense of accomplishment."

Photos from this year's and previous Scholars Day events, along with a video from this year's event, are available online at www.bvu.edu/scholarsday.