The Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences is pleased to announce the winner of the 2023 Outstanding Alumnus Award, Dr. Doreen Laszlo DDS '69. This award recognizes and celebrates a McGill Dental Medicine graduate for their exceptional contributions to the Faculty and the dental profession in general.
For over 30 years Dr. Doreen Laszlo practiced general and family dentistry in the Vancouver neighborhood of Kitsilano. Dr. Myrna Halpenny, DDS’74, nominated her as outstanding alumnus of the year for her commitment to the oral health needs of her community, her generosity towards the Faculty and initiatives in the Vancouver area, and donating her time to serve on several committees in local and provincial dental societies. “I have known Doreen since 1974, when we both moved to Vancouver from Montreal. She has always been proud to say she is a McGill graduate and has proved herself to be a great ambassador for the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences and McGill”, says Dr. Halpenny.
Dr. Doreen Laszlo has significantly impacted the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences through her philanthropy and dedication to the Faculty's mission, which includes the creation of the Dr. Doreen E. Laszlo Graduate Fellowship, providing financial assistance to outstanding graduate students in the Faculty. Dr. Laszlo and her husband Dr. Charles Laszlo, who obtained his PhD from McGill, also made a significant contribution to the construction of the Faculty's Dispensary in the Undergraduate Teaching Clinic, which has been named in their honour. In 2006 she received the E.P. Taylor Award from the McGill Alumni Association for her contributions to the success of the Ernest Ambrose Professorship campaign.
On learning that she had won the Outstanding Alumnus Award, Dr. Laszlo says "I have been forever grateful for the encouragement and financial aid I received as a student, and hope I can play a small part in helping others realize their goals."
Dr. Laszlo and her husband have also supported numerous community dental and health care initiatives in British Columbia including the BC Family Hearing Resource Society, a scholarship at the University of British Columbia for students with hearing loss, and the Adopt a School Program at UBC Faculty of Dentistry, which provides free oral health care to vulnerable children.
In his letter of support for Dr. Laszlo’s nomination, former Dean Dr. Paul Allison notes that she has been an outstanding supporter of the Faculty over several decades and her generosity is not only limited to her philanthropic activities. Dr. Laszlo led alumni outreach in the Vancouver region and to a greater extent on the West Coast, and has been instrumental in mobilizing alumni to donate to the Faculty in recognition of milestone class reunion years. “It is one thing to be generous oneself but it is another, additional act of support to make phone calls, write emails and organize meetings and events to facilitate the donations of others for the Faculty.”
Dr. Doreen Laszlo's philanthropy is a testament to her commitment to advancing dental education and ensuring the highest standards of oral health care. She has made a lasting impact in the field of dentistry and in the communities she serves.