Kapp Prize Awarded to Top Student Presentations
Zachary Baker, Bryan Schutte and Chelse Van Spronsen are recipients of the Ronald O. Kapp Honors Day Prize for their outstanding Honors Day presentations in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
The prize is named for the late Ronald O. Kapp, who was an Alma College biology professor for 32 years and vice president of academic affairs for 20 years.
A panel of judges from each division selected the prizewinners after assessing the presentations for quality of scholarship as well as how well the materials were presented. The prize is open to all students and groups.
Schutte, a senior anthropology major from Jenison, presented “Bad Bacon: A Taphonomic Experiment in Central Michigan.” In his study, Schutte examined and compared the decomposition of pig remains in an agricultural field and mixed forest through observation and insect collection to better understand how organic artifacts decompose over time.
Van Spronsen, a senior biology major from Jenison, presented “Determination of Antioxidant Activity and Detection of Polyphenolic Compounds in Crude Extract Samples of Strawberry Cultivars.” In her study, Van Spronsen examined the antioxidant activity in selected strawberry plant varieties to determine statistical differences in how whole berries deteriorate over time.