Jacob Braddock 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.

Jacob Braddock, a sophomore biology major from Swea City, was one of the students who participated. Braddock's presentation was titled Chlorophyll a analysis of algae subjected to white, green, and red light , and the project's abstract is as follows:

The emergence of algal biofuel has the potential to make immediate impacts on fossil fuel emissions. Unlike traditional fossil fuels, algal biofuel is essentially limitless. Algae are easily grown in areas that are not fertile enough for standard crop production. If monitored correctly, algae can be grown exponentially in freshwater systems with minimal effects to the surrounding organisms. Although large scale efforts to incorporate algal biofuel as a substitute to gasoline have been unsuccessful to this point, it has the ability to replace this energy as oil costs rise and activists push for legislation pertaining to harmful emissions. Understanding the factors that increase algae production is essential in developing a safer and cleaner fuel alternative. An experiment was conducted to explore the growth of algae subjected to white light, red light, and green light. After two, ten day trials and multiple analyses of algae growth using a spectrophotometer, definitive differences existed among the subjected samples. The data provided evidence that the white light nearly doubled the algae growth compared to its counterparts. By understanding the components that lead to efficient algae growth, the opportunity is present to make an impact on the way algal biofuels are implemented into today’s society.

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.