Finding opportunity where others found discomfort

“I also think that coming from University of Redlands looks unique on an application.”

Sienna Hepworth ’27 had calculated the odds. Hundreds of applicants yet only eight available spots — the numbers did not appear to be in her favor. Regardless of her doubts, the answer was yes. This summer, she will join seven other students selected from across the nation through the Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, traveling to the University of Rhode Island to work on science that stretches all the way to the Arctic. 

A double major in environmental science and geographic information systems (GIS), Hepworth will work alongside Fulbright Scholar Dr. Brice Loose, validating a new protocol for measuring microplastic ingestion in Arctic zooplankton.

“I kept thinking I wasn’t going to get it,” she said. “But I also think that coming from University of Redlands looks unique on an application.”

Having completed research course work and an internship abroad, Hepworth’s Redlands experiences made each step towards this opportunity feel like a natural progression. Along the way, faculty helped shape her confidence.

“As a Redlands student, professors are looking out for you,” she said. “Dan Klooster and Valerie Rountree have emailed me when they’ve come across something that may be in my best interest. It makes me think, ‘Why would I not get an internship or research project?’ Coming from a small liberal arts school and getting these opportunities — I think that totally speaks to a Redlands education.”

Beyond the experiences themselves, Hepworth’s REU research will be published, attaching her name to science that could inform how the world measures and responds to microplastic contamination in Earth's water.

“What sets this research apart is that the method we’re going to be looking at has not been researched before,” she said. “We’ll be making a new system, a new protocol for measuring microplastic ingestion in plankton, and that’s something that can have massive implications and is important to do research on.”

Due to the Arctic’s remote location, research on microplastic pollution has been sparse. “Looking at Arctic zooplankton is important because we see so much climate sensitivity in the Arctic and Antarctic. If the research method works, a whole new system could be implemented. It’s exciting to do the work that could help with policy reform or, one day, change the composition of microplastics.”

As Hepworth prepares to travel to the opposite coast, she carries with her the hands-on experiences of a Bulldog education.

“The experiences I’ve had at Redlands will stay with me for the rest of my life,” she said. “The courses, community building, and research have helped me feel comfortable and have shown me that I’m capable of doing these things.”

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