Faculty of Dentistry 90th Anniversary Gala Dinner
The NUS Faculty of Dentistry held its 90th Anniversary Gala Dinner on 31 August at Suntec Convention Centre. Over 470 alumni, faculty, students and supporters came together to celebrate the Faculty’s journey since it began as a Department of Dentistry within the King Edward VII College of Medicine in 1929. Among the guests were the Minister for Education, Mr Ong Ye Kung, Chief Executive of the National University Health System Professor John Eu-Li Wong (Medicine '81), and NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science '85).
Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Professor Patrick Finbarr Allen delivered the opening welcome address, thanking guests for their contributions and continued support of the Faculty. “We are very fortunate to have the contribution and support of many who give generously of their time to train future generations of dentists. There is an unbroken line going back many generations of caring dentists contributing back to the Faculty by our alumni, and for this, we are very grateful,” shared Professor Allen. The Dinner was the Faculty’s capstone event for the year, rounding off events such as the Oral Health Awareness Roadshow in March and the official opening of the Faculty’s new campus at the National University Centre for Oral Health, Singapore in August.
Guests were treated to a dance by the Faculty’s most recent intake of first-year students who had recently clinched the coveted NUSSU Rag & Flag 2019 Gold Award. Performing their award-winning dance, the students amazed the crowd with their energy and tight choreography.
As part of the celebrations, awards recognising excellence and contribution by students, faculty and alumni were presented. Postgraduate Awards were presented to residents who had displayed excellence in their respective fields of study. Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards were presented to recognise the contributions of Faculty members who have contributed significantly to the education and training of the next generation of oral healthcare professionals. The Faculty was also proud to recognise two of the Faculty’s senior staff members, Professor Chew Chong Lin ('71) and Dr Keng Siong Beng ('72) for being awarded the Emeritus Professorship and Honorary Fellowship respectively.
In addition, a special Senior Alumni Award was presented to senior alumni, Dr Lim Kheng Ann ('52), Adjunct Associate Professor Lee Woon Oi Teresa ('63), Dr Chan-Liok Yew Ai ('61) and Dr Yip Wing Kong ('64) who had served the Faculty for more than 15 years during its early years. Minister for Education, Mr Ong presented the awards to the alumni who were present at the dinner.
To round off the night, a cake-cutting ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the Faculty was held, with distinguished guests and past deans coming on stage to the Faculty’s anniversary cake.
The event ended on a high note with a cheque presentation by Coden Specialists, a multi-disciplinary dental speciality centre, who had generously donated $225,000 to the Faculty. The gift will be used to establish an endowed scholarship to a student pursuing their final year in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery course and a prize for the Most Distinguished Final Year Student in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery course. The Singapore Dental Association also gifted a generous donation of $90,000 to commemorate the latest milestone of the Faculty.