Student Research Excellence: Fleming and Bettinger Recognized Nationally With Top Award and Honorable Mention

Fourth-year dental student Nicole A. Fleming earned the Most Outstanding Presentation Award in the Clinical Research category at the 30th Annual Hinman Student Research Symposium, held October 31–November 2 in Memphis, Tennessee. Her research, “Efficacy of Oral Healthcare Antimicrobials on Streptococcus mutans Clinical Isolates,” was directed by Justin R. Kaspar, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Biosciences.

The Hinman Symposium is recognized as one of the premier showcases for dental research, featuring oral and poster presentations from dental students and graduate trainees across North America and beyond. This year’s Symposium brought together 90 students representing 50 dental schools in 29 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Europe.

Third-year dental student Robert Bettinger was also recognized, receiving Honorable Mention for Outstanding Poster Presentation in Basic Research for his project, “Identification of Genes that Impact Fitness in Streptococcus gordonii,” also directed by Dr. Kaspar.