Margaret Fleming

Rising Senior
Environmental Engineering
Cornell University
CEINT Research Site: Wiesner Lab, Duke University

The CEINT REU program offers a unique opportunity to learn and work amongst supportive and knowledgeable individuals, each with a passion for research. The highlight of my experience was collaborating with students, mentors, and professors from a variety of disciplines in order to reach a better understanding of how manufactured nanomaterials interact with natural systems. Working on my own project and getting to use instruments such as the scanning electron microscope and the transmission electron microscope to characterize BisBAL nanoparticles was stimulating and enlightening work. However, what makes CEINT so special is the time taken through both guest lectures and peer presentations to put each of our projects into context and see the ways in which our work connects to the overarching CEINT mission.

Career Impacts and Plans

Before participating in the CEINT REU program, I was uncertain about the path I would pursue after I graduate. Due in part to my amazing experience in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at Duke University, I now know that I want to continue working in research. I plan on pursuing a PhD in environmental engineering and am currently exploring options for graduate school.