Alexis Wormington, a junior biology major, earned a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Greater Research Opportunities undergraduate fellowship this fall to study how tiny particles found in everyday products like sunscreen are impacting aquatic ecosystems.

Working with faculty mentor Aaron Roberts, associate professor of biology, Wormington will use the fellowship to further study how sunlight and various concentrations of ultraviolet radiation change the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in aquatic ecosystems. The particles are found in everyday products like sunscreens, cosmetics and paints. Wormington plans to become a toxicologist after earning a doctorate in the future and study various toxicology issues in several countries.