Hawaii's Super Students
Saturday, May 4, 1996
Name: Bradley C. Akitake
Age: 16
School: Baldwin High
Favorite subject: Mathematics
Pastimes: Tennis, piano, oboe
Future: Medicine, engineering
"I knew it was an interesting project, but I didn't think they would pick mine," he said.
Akitake, a sophomore at Baldwin High School and one of four Hawaii district winners, will compete next week in the 47th International Science and Engineering Fair in Tucson, Ariz.
"He's one of the top students in the sophomore class," said his science teacher, Michael Kinoshita.
Akitake said he's interested in medicine as a profession because it offers the opportunity to help people.
Akitake, son of Bert and Jane Akitake of Wailuku, knows what it means to fail and try again.
He's entered three previous science experiments in the contest. One examined the nutritional content of hot dogs and tried to see if there was a connection between the sodium and fat content and taste preferences.
His latest experiment involved growing skin bacteria in a dish, then exposing them to different electrical voltages from flashlight batteries.
In early tests, the bacteria grew. Later, more controlled tests showed at least that the voltages did not stunt the bacteria, he said.