Staffing Updates - May 2023
May 2023
This has been another busy month at Schulich Dentistry with several staffing changes to report. We want to congratulate Stephanie Durnin, who has accepted the role of Program Manager, Continuing and Postgraduate Dental Education, effective May 1st, 2023. Stephanie’s work experience is multifaceted and includes positions in private practice, public health, undergraduate education, and postgraduate education.
Stephanie brings a wealth of knowledge to this new role as she was previously the Postgraduate Program Coordinator working within the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency and General Practice Residency programs. Having led the postgraduate accreditation process in 2016, she will be working closely with Dr. Quiñonez, Dr. Inocencio, and Terri MacDougall to prepare us for Dentistry’s accreditation, which begins in early 2024. Stephanie will also play a key role in supporting Dr. Quiñonez’ vision for growth in the Continuing Dental Education portfolio.
Stephanie is certified as an intra-oral dental assistant, has a diploma in Medical Office Administration, and is planning to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2024. Steph has also finished her certificate in Excellence in Leadership at Western Continuing Studies. And most recently, Steph became the recipient of the Schulich Awards of Excellence – Innovation Award 2023.
Recruitment for Stephanie’s vacated clinic position will begin shortly. In the meantime, Mary-Elizabeth Jones, Nurse Manager, has agreed to step into an acting role to help support the clinics. Congratulations, Stephanie, and thank you Mary-Elizabeth!
Image: Stephanie Durnin and Edward Dibia
We are also pleased to announce that Edward Dibia has joined our team on May 8th, 2023 as Project Manager, Accreditation and Special Projects. In this role, Edward’s first priority will be working closely with Terri MacDougall and Stephanie Durnin, as well as Dr. Inocencio and Dr. Quiñonez to prepare Dentistry for our upcoming accreditation. Edward will also be responsible for supporting a number of other key projects.
Edward has a Bachelor of Dental Surgery and is a licensed Project Management Professional with over seven years of experience in conducting SWOT analysis, planning, implementing, leading, organizing, and tracking the outcomes of numerous complex projects while working with multiple stakeholders. His knowledge of dentistry will be a tremendous asset to the role.
Most recently, Edward was a Project Manager with Health Research Partners in Calgary Alberta. Prior to moving to Canada, Edward worked at the Deseret International Hospital in Nigeria where he was the Practice Manager/Project Manager working closely with the Business Analysis team to implement strategies to align with organizational goals and objectives. Edward’s experience includes being a Project Manager with the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA), the umbrella body for all practicing dentists in Nigeria. Edward also worked at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital as a Clinical Research Coordinator.
We are glad to have you on board, Edward!
Finally, we want to congratulate Cindy Littlejohns on her upcoming retirement effective June 30, 2023.
Cindy has had a successful career at Western University. She joined Dentistry in 2009 on a part-time basis working with Drs. Saad and Sandhu in the multifunctional dental clinic before moving into a permanent role with us in 2011. Cindy has played a significant role working with the faculty mentors on patient referrals and discharges, as well as the annual audits of student cases. Cindy has a reputation of being extremely detail-oriented in her review of patient files and her years of expertise will be missed.
Please join us in wishing Cindy all the best in the next chapter of her life!
