Dr. Myrna Halpenny

A respected leader, pioneer and role model, Dr. Myrna Halpenny has made lasting contributions to dentistry through service, mentorship and advocacy. Her career includes serving as president of both the BC Dental Association (BCDA) and the College of Dental Surgeons of BC (CDSBC), where she was the first woman to hold the role. She is a founding member of the BC Women’s Dental Society and a past chair of the BC Section of the American College of Dentists.

In addition to co-owning a specialty endodontics practice, Dr. Halpenny taught and mentored students as a part-time faculty member at UBC. She supported the ethics curriculum through the American College of Dentists and contributed to various committees at the BCDA and CDSBC. She also helped raise funds for the Faculty of Dentistry at McGill University.

Her achievements have been recognized with Awards of Merit from both the BCDA and CDSBC. She holds fellowships with the International College of Dentists and the American College of Dentists and is a member of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. She has been described as an icon and a generous ethical professional whose impact is felt across the dental community.

Rae McFarlane

For more than four decades, Rae McFarlane has been a champion for dental hygiene education in Canada and beyond. A graduate of UBC’s first Dental Hygiene Diploma class, she has contributed at the local, provincial, national and international levels, always focusing on students and underserved communities.

At UBC, she serves as the Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Coordinator and sits on both the Admissions Committee and the Dental Hygiene Curriculum Committee. She is also enrolled in a Doctorate in Distance Education program and participates in UBC’s artificial intelligence forums. Her work led to updates across the program’s syllabi, adding content related to artificial intelligence and academic integrity.

Her service includes providing dental public health care to Indigenous children and Elders in the Northwest Territories and practicing in long-term care settings. She has been a mentor for the College of Dental Hygienists of BC (CDHBC), established a local study club, supported a nonprofit dental clinic and served as clinical director for the Special Olympics.

Rae has received UBC Dentistry Part-time and Session Faculty Teaching Awards and Volunteer Service Awards from both the CDHBC and the BC Dental Hygienists’ Association. Colleagues describe her as humble, generous and committed to student learning and the advancement of the profession.

Shunhau To

Known for her positivity and dedication to patient care, Shunhau To has played a key role in the development of UBC’s Geriatric Dentistry Program. Working alongside Dr. Chris Wyatt, she has helped expand outreach to more than 27 hospitals and assisted living facilities.

As a coordinator and administrator, Shunhau supports operations across long-term care facilities by working closely with faculty, staff, students and patients. She helped facilitate the donation of a dental clinic to Villa Cathay Care Home, which has become part of the UBC DMD and general practice residency (GPR) curriculums.

She has participated in outreach programs and fundraising efforts, served as a continuing education speaker on geriatric care and contributed to a National Institutes of Health article on COVID-19. She was also a panelist for the 2023 UBC MEDTalks on Healthy Aging. Her work reflects a strong commitment to community health and collaborative care.