Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine fourth-year student Alexandria Hawkins was selected by the American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD) to receive the 2014 Colgate Research Award for showing academic distinction and demonstrating excellence in research.
Hawkins is one of only 10 students nationally to receive the $500 award. The winners will be listed in the August issue of the AAWD’s Chronicle newsletter.
Hawkins’ research “Comparative Disinfection of Enterococcus faecalis Loaded Root Canals,” concentrated on research specific to endodontic irrigants.
“The research involves comparing different root canal irrigants based on how well they cleaned the canal and killed the bacteria,” Hawkins said. “My background as a biology major at SIUE and my previous research, which involved microbiology, initiated my interest in the topic, as well as the importance of successful root canal treatments in the field of dentistry.”
Earlier this spring, Hawkins won third place in the Dentsply Caulk research competition at the 43rd annual meeting and exposition of the American Association for Dental Research.
Dr. Mary Stillwell-Kuesel founded the Women’s Dental Association of the U.S.in Philadelphia, and for more than 89 years, AAWD has supported women dentists. Its goal was for women interested in dentistry to organize a society by which they could strengthen themselves by helping each other.
Photo: SIU SDM fourth-year student Alexandria Hawkins.