Coastal Carolina University is the only university in the state of South Carolina invited to participate in the 21st annual Posters on the Hill, a distinguished annual research competition sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research held in Washington, D.C. More than 300 applications were received from around the country, and only 60 posters will be presented on Capitol Hill.

Three CCU students have been selected to present their research project April 25-26 at the event. Kerry Dittmeier, Emma Kroger and Nancy Phillips, all CCU Swain Scholars, have gathered information on public perceptions about people who are homeless and plan to compare public opinion findings with real data collected through firsthand interviews.

"We are all so excited to have been accepted to this prestigious event, it will be such a unique opportunity to represent Coastal Carolina University as we present our research on homelessness to congressional members and our representatives," said Dittmeier.

Dittmeier is a senior public health major with special interest in underserved populations, global health and health policy. She has lived on military bases overseas most of her life until coming to South Carolina to attend CCU. She hopes to pursue her master's degree and Ph.D. in global health after graduating from Coastal.

Kroger is a senior exercise and sports science major pursuing a career in occupational therapy. She is from Germantown, Ohio, and competes on the CCU track and field team.

Phillips is a biology major with a specialization in cell, genetic and molecular biology. She is originally from Chapin, S.C., and her goal is to improve the health and general well-being of others during their greatest time of need.

The mission of CCU's Swain Scholars program is to partner with community agencies in researching health-related issues and implement community health programs. Sharon Thompson, professor of public health at CCU, is coordinator of the program.

The Swain Scholars have also been invited to present their research on perceptions of homelessness at the Society for Public Health Education conference in Denver, Colo., in March.

In the past, CCU has had posters accepted in 2000 (Jessica Haussman, marine science), 2007 (James Perkins, computer science), 2012 (Olga Tweedy, marine science) and 2013 (Marcello Garofalo, graphic design, and Brandon Rudolph, interdisciplinary studies).