Storm Lake, IA (KICD) — A junior biology major at Buena Vista University receives a national fellowship.

Derek Simonsen, from Quimby has received a Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Undergraduate Fellowship from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Jill Heisterkamp is the Senior Writer of Marketing & Public Relations, at BVU. She tells KICD News what the fellowship is about…

 

 

Simonsen is one of only 30 students from throughout the country selected to receive the fellowship. He will receive financial support of $20,700 per academic year for his junior and senior years of undergraduate study and $8,600 of support for a 12 week long internship at an EPA research facility during the summer of his junior year.

 

 

Simonsen plans to use the fellowship to further his interest in research regarding triclosan, which is an antimicrobial found in soaps, toothpaste and cosmetics, and is known to affect hormones and results in antibiotic resistance in bacteria. UV radiation is known to convert triclosan into a species of dioxin, a known skin irritant that also has the potential to increase the risk of cancer.