ELON, N.C. – Set to graduate this weekend with a bachelor of science degree in exercise science and a minor in neuroscience, Elon University women’s basketball team captain Lauren Brown has been elected to a two-year term as a youth trustee on the University’s Board of Trustees beginning June 1.
After graduation, Brown will be pursuing a master’s thesis program at the University of Georgia where she will conduct research on individuals with muscle disorders, including patients with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and stroke victims. The Alpharetta, Ga., native is a 2016 Trey Walker Scholar and an inaugural Provost Scholar. She has served as a member of the President’s Student Leadership Advisory Council, a Diversity Ambassador campus guide, a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and an Elon 101 teaching assistant while scoring more than 1,100 points in her career with the women’s basketball team, winning the CAA Dean Ehlers Leadership Award in March.
Brown’s undergraduate research experience included participation with Elon BrainCARE Research Institute with faculty co-directors Caroline Ketcham and Eric Hall and physical therapy faculty member Srikant Vallabhajosula. She studied motion biomechanics and concussion histories of collegiate student-athletes. Brown has presented her research project, “Effect of Dual-Task on Turning Characteristics While Walking Among Collegiate Athletes”, at the Elon Student Undergraduate Research Forum, the American College of Sports Medicine Conference and the William & Mary Undergraduate Science Research Symposium. She has completed practicums in exercise science at the Polaris Spine and Neurosurgery Center, Duke Orthopedic Clinic and the Alamance Regional Cone Health Physical Sports Rehab Center.
Additionally, Brown has completed more than 50 hours of community service with Allied Churches, It Takes a Village Project, Twin Lakes Retirement Community, Burlington Housing Authority, Special Olympics and Parent’s Night Out, a special initiative offered through the School of Education that provides free child care throughout the semester for faculty and staff members.
Brown has worked at Alamance Regional Hospital as a Certified Nursing Assistant, where she provided high-quality patient care in surgical, acute-care and rehabilitation settings.
On the court this season, Brown was second on the team with 12.1 points per game to go with a 40.4 shooting percentage from the floor. She finished the year as Elon’s only player to score 25 points or more in a game, doing so four times throughout the season. In January, Brown became the 21st player in team history to reach the 1,000-career point mark in a win at William & Mary. Brown also helped guide Elon to its first-ever Division I conference championships and the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.