Lubbock Christian University welcomes distinguished economist, Dr. Kenneth G. Elzinga, as keynote speaker for the 2014 Scholars Colloquium. His keynote presentation, titled “Adam Smith: the Free Market and the Christian Faith,” will take place on Thursday, April 10:00 a.m., at 3:00 p.m. in the Baker Conference Center. "We are happy to have Dr. Elzinga here this year," says Dr. Stacy Patty, Director of the Honors Program and Scholars Colloquium Committee member. "He is not only one of the leading national economists and expert witnesses in his field but also a courageous Christian witness at the University of Virginia. His speeches should not be missed.” Dr. Elzinga is the Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia. Each fall his introductory economics course attracts over 1,000 students and is the largest class offered at the University of Virginia. Dr. Elzinga’s major research interest is antitrust economics. Due to his expertise in economics, Dr. Elzinga has testified in several antitrust cases, and he has served as the economic expert in three Supreme Court cases. Dr. Elzinga has authored more than one hundred academic publications, and co-authored three mystery novels where crimes were solved using economic analysis. In addition to his keynote address, Dr. Elzinga will present twice on Friday. At 9:00 a.m. he will speak on the Supreme Court, and at noon he will speak on “Models of Faculty Ministry”at a faculty luncheon. LCU’s Scholars Colloquium is a time for selected students and faculty to present their best research in an academic conference setting. The three days of scholarly insight will begin on Wednesday, April 9. Poster displays will be set up in the Student Union Building all three days with a question and answer session on Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon. “We are pleased that the quality of the colloquium continues to reflect the truly excellent research work of our students and faculty at LCU," Dr. Patty explains. "Our university produces undergraduate research, for example, that is certainly among the best in the nation, as evidenced by the number accepted to present at national conferences as well as on our campus." This year’s plenary student speakers, Bryan Hettick and James Masterson, will open the oral presentations for the Scholars Colloquium at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Plenary speakers are chosen by the Scholars Colloquium Committee and are presented a plaque for their work. The Colloquium will have four breakout sessions featuring 73 presentations overall. Masterson, a senior Youth and Family Ministry major and recipient of the Qualitative Research Award, will present on “The Effectiveness of Short-Term Intensive Youth & Family Ministry Internships.” When Masterson began his research he discovered there was very limited research on internships. Though this made for a great research topic, Masterson had to overcome the challenges of starting from scratch. “What started out as an idea to research ministry internships turned into a passion I never thought could exist within myself,” states Masterson. “All my hard work had paid off when I discovered I had received the Qualitative Award. It helped me to see that I was a better student than I had ever given myself credit for.” The Quantitative Research Award recipient and senior Chemistry major, Hettick, will present his research on “Quality and Stability of Peanut Oils in Raw Nuts Treated with Ultraviolet Light to Reduce Bacterial Loads.” “Contributing to the undergraduate research program as well as the scientific community as a whole has been the greatest honor,” says Hettick. “Coming together to share research with colleagues is a celebration of learning. Sharing new knowledge fosters a passion for discovery that is an essential part of a growing university.” Masterson was also selected to present at the Texas Tech Conference of Undergraduate Research. Both Masterson and Hettick were previously selected to present their research nationally at the 2014 National Conference for Undergraduate Research. Read the past story about the students selected to present at NCUR. View the <link _blank internal-link internal link in current>full schedule of events.