Elisha Tong is advancing antibiotic-resistance research at California Lutheran University with support from a 2025-26 Barry Goldwater Scholarship — one of 441 awarded from more than 5,000 applicants, and only the fourth ever won by a Cal Lutheran student. Tong began research as a first-year student with Michael Abdelsayed on RNA thermometers, work that led to a co-authored journal article. She completed a two-month internship studying drug transporters at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at NIH, and now works with faculty mentor Dana Harmon investigating efflux pumps, a mechanism bacteria use to evade antibiotics. “Looking at antibiotic resistance on an RNA-level could lead to new advancements,” she said. Tong plans a doctorate in biochemistry.