Elon senior Lauren Stranahan hopes to make an impact this spring at the annual Posters on the Hill event in Washington, D.C., where she will express to Congress the importance of funding undergraduate research.

“I think it’s a really good cause because doing research has really changed me,” Stranahan said. “It has made me more professional, and it has prepared me for a career outside of college.”

For the past two years, Stranahan, a biology major and Lumen scholar, has focused her research on the effects trace amounts of pharmaceutical drugs have on aquatic wildlife when leaked into the water supply.

“I’ve always been interested in animal behavior,” Stranahan said. “I love to see animals in a medical setting.”

In November, Biology professor Linda Niedziela, Stranahan’s academic adviser and Lumen mentor, encouraged her to apply for Posters on the Hill, hosted by the Center for Undergraduate Research, after being impressed by Stranahan’s work.

“The quality of Lauren’s research has been really outstanding, so (Posters on the Hill) seemed like a natural fit for her,” Niedziela said.

Stranahan has shown a true dedication to her work, spending long hours in the lab conducting research on a strict schedule she developed for herself, Niedziela said. Currently, Stranahan is drafting an article for publication on her findings.

“She doesn’t see this as a class or as something she should do, but as something she wants to do,” Niedziela said.

In spite of a rigorous research schedule, Stranahan said she has not had much difficulty accommodating weekly class work.

“As you go along, you get better at (conducting research) and it takes less time,” she said.

Though all aspects of Stranahan’s research don’t always go according to plan, she manages to see the challenges her work presents as a learning experience.

“The more (work) you do, the easier it is to overcome obstacles,” she said. “I think it makes you better, not just at doing research, but in life in general. You become more mature through it and it makes you more professional.”

Stranahan’s research has at times yielded unexpected results. She was surprised to find that even the smallest amounts of a pharmaceutical drug can have a great impact on aquatic wildlife.

She is looking forward to sharing this finding with others at Posters on the Hill, where she will present a poster displaying the findings of her research to more than 100 undergraduates. State representatives will also be invited to attend the presentation.

“I’m excited to be presenting with all these other people that are doing their own research at their own universities,” Stranahan said.

Though Stranahan is the first of Niedziela’s mentees to apply for Posters on the Hill, Niedziela said she demonstrates how students can benefit from conducting research in such a focused and determined manner.

“She is a great example of what undergraduates can do with their research,” Niedziela said.