Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Geography & Environmental Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2020
  • M.S.E., Environmental Process Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2018
  • B.S., Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 2014
Professional Honors
  • American Chemical Society Graduate Student Award (2016)
  • Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Water, Climate, and Health Fellow

Dr. Fleming applies her training in water quality engineering to assess the ecological risk posed by emerging contaminants. Through a combination of literature and database review and modeling, she has experience synthesizing information regarding the impact of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and other environmental issues. 

Dr. Fleming has prepared written reports that integrate relevant compound characteristics associated with biodegradability, bioaccumulation, and ecological toxicity for use in environmental risk assessments in accordance with U.S. and EU regulations. Her risk assessment experience extends to experimental design and data analysis as applied in her research characterizing the metal oxide nanoparticles used in the semi-conductor industry. Her work determining nanoparticle properties including charge, size, and aggregation rate was used to predict behaviors and interactions with biological cells in aquatic environments.

In addition to her work assessing the environmental impact of engineered nanoparticles, Dr. Fleming has also explored potential applications of these particles. Her research involved the evaluation of low-pressure water filtration membranes modified with antibacterial silver nanoparticles. The ability of this modification to decrease bacterial growth and increase energy efficiency was tested in bench-scale laboratory studies.