Timberly George Ambler, BSc (Phys Ther)'04

Grace Shyng (she/her) is a Registered Audiologist and Hearing Instrument Practitioner. Grace is qualified to provide hearing assessments; hearing aid services; tinnitus management services; cerumen management (fancy word for earwax removal); custom noise, musician or swim plugs; and communication accessibility consultations, where she explores ways to help make employment, educational, and social listening environments more communication-friendly. (Think of the last time you were at a meeting or restaurant and couldn’t hear what everyone said. Grace can help with that!). She is a proud UBC alumna: B.A. (1991 – Speech Sciences) and M.Sc. (1995 – Audiology). Grace is also passionate about clinical education: she has been a Clinical Assistant Professor with the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences since 2001, and in 2009 she was honored to be the inaugural recipient of the School’s Noelle Lamb Award for Excellence in Clinical Education.

Grace is a true Vancouverite, having been born and raised in Vancouver. She also loves creative writing, travelling, and hiking friendly trails with her family and Shiba Inu dog.

What drew you to the Master of Science – Audiology program at UBC?

I’ve always had an interest in sciences, language arts, and psychology, and at one point I considered a career in Law. But then I heard about Audiology which was a field that combined the background of science and communications, so I was intrigued. I was also very close with my maternal grandmother and I really enjoyed spending time with seniors. The field of Audiology was a perfect fit for this.

What is your favorite memory from your time at UBC?

I have many favourite memories, but it’s the year of firsts that stand out for me. As tough as first year at UBC was (First year Calculus and Physics – ouch!), I met amazing people and made lifelong friendships, including the one who became my husband. In my first year of my graduate Master’s degree in Audiology at UBC, my world expanded even more, setting me on a professional journey that continues to pay back and pay forward year after year.

What has been your journey since graduating from UBC?

Since graduation, I have worn many hats. Early on in my career, I participated in a very interesting project for Rotary International. In the summers of 1998 and 1999, I travelled to Zimbabwe with a Rotary International Hearing Health Care team where we provided audiology services across the country and trained local professionals on hearing health service delivery.

Two of my most notable and proudest positions have been for a non-profit hearing clinic based in Vancouver. From 1999 to 2018, I was their Head of Audiology, where I grew the department from 2 clinicians to an 11-member group of brilliant, stellar clinicians. Our team developed an excellent reputation, and we received many accolades for our clinical services and clinical education. From 2018 to 2020, I served as their Interim Executive Director and during that stint, I successfully led a $16 million capital project where we built the most accessible building in Canada, as awarded by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

From 2021 onwards, I worked for a private hearing clinic in Surrey, and also joined the Academic Coordinators of Clinical Education (ACCE) Team at the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, (SASS), Faculty of Medicine. As part of the UBC SASS ACCE team, I helped to develop and coordinate a very successful student-led hearing clinic that provided hearing assessments to clients from the UBC community and beyond.

Most recently, in August 2022, I founded a private practice hearing clinic with a longtime colleague and fellow Audiologist. Network Hearing Health is a dream come true for us, and we’re excited to build a modern hearing clinic that is true to our values and our 25-year working history together. We are both passionate about the profession of audiology and strongly believe that the management of hearing loss is not a quick fix, but it’s best supported over the lifetime with the help of knowledgeable and trusted Audiologists. My areas of professional interest include clinical education, hearing health and aging, amplification and aural rehabilitation and communication accessibility. I’m active on several professional audiology committees at both the local and national level.

What do you find most interesting about a career in audiology?

Audiology provides me the opportunity to combine my interests in the sciences, language arts, psychology, and counselling into one rewarding profession. Hearing is the less-noticed cousin to the other senses of sight and touch and is often overlooked. But hearing is what connects us to each other; it’s the conduit that creates the sense of belonging and inclusiveness with our social, family, educational or work networks. Audiology is a field where you can develop close bonds with your clients and share in their joys and successes. It is deeply moving moment when you switch on a hearing aid for someone who hasn’t heard for a long while, and to watch their eyes and face light up when they realize they are hearing the babble from their little granddaughter sitting across from them.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in both my colleagues and my clients. My colleagues, with their patience and unlimited curiosity to query, seek, and find solutions to help people manage their hearing losses, and from my clients, particularly my seniors, who share inspiring stories of the trials and tribulations they have overcome in their life journeys.

How has your identity affected your perspective on the field of audiology and your future pursuits? 

Growing up as a Vancouverite, and as a first generation Chinese Canadian, I’ve realized the importance of that term, “it takes a village.” I attribute my successes in my personal and professional life to my sense of belonging with community from my family, friends, and colleagues. The field of audiology focuses a lot on connectedness with other people in one’s network, whether it familial, social, vocational or educational. When work with clients, I explore how their hearing loss has impacted any sphere of a person’s life and what we can do together to help them reconnect with their community and their network.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish?

I hope to raise more awareness of the importance of hearing health. We all know to get baseline tests for our eyes, our teeth, and we do annual physicals. But what about our hearing? Most people don’t even think about getting their hearing tested until they realize they are having trouble. Hearing is what connects you to another human being. You can look at a vacation photo and remember that fun moment fondly, but if you playback a video or an audio message, and hear the voices, the laughter, and the sounds of that moment, you will be transported right back to that place in time.

What does a healthy society mean to you?

A healthy society is one in which everyone has equitable access to health services and opportunities for growth and wellness, so that people can achieve their greatest potential regardless of their background or abilities and feel a strong sense of belonging and inclusiveness with their community.

Claudia Singh (she/her) is a recent graduate of the BMLSc Program and recipient of the William J. Godolphin Prize for Excellence in Critical Thinking and the Outstanding Performance in PATH 405 award. She considers herself a lifelong learner and a huge nerd for everything from hematology to working out to sports like golf, soccer, hockey, and basketball. Claudia enjoys clinical research and through the Faculty of Medicine Summer Student Research Program was able to carry out a project under the supervision of Dr. Audi Setiadi at BC Children’s Hospital and present a poster at the International Clinical Cytometry 2021 Meeting. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine and engage in teaching, research, and mentoring throughout her career. When Claudia is not working or studying, you can find her spending time with family and friends or on the golf course.

What drew you to the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc) degree at UBC?

I have always been interested in medical sciences. I attribute my love of science to being drawn to the “why” behind things. I think the human body is an incredible machine full of tiny cells that carry out chemical processes to allow us to do the many amazing things we do every day. However, it can be vulnerable to disease, and the reasons as to why are extremely interesting and an area of ever-growing research. I was drawn to the BMLSc degree when applying to UBC because of its small program size and curriculum built around studying the “why” and “how” behind disease. I wanted to learn the answers to some of the questions I had and, in turn, I came out of it with even more questions than I started.

How has studying in the BMLSc program made an impact on you?

The BMLSc program has had a tremendous impact on me. I absolutely loved every part of the curriculum and it greatly furthered my love for learning. I was tested against an immense workload which brought out my critical thinking skills and discovered a love for teaching I never knew I had. I grew incredible relationships with peers and faculty that have helped me with my education and my career. The program allowed me to learn closely from instructors and grow my love for clinical research which brought upon many other opportunities.

What was something you learned in the BMLSc program that surprised you?

One of the things I learned that really surprised me was actually about myself: I really love teaching and want to teach in my career. I had no idea how much I would enjoy teaching (if at all) until I was a third of the way through PATH 405: Seminars in Current Topics. This class taught us how to be effective teachers and the true meaning of learner-centered teaching. The instructors leading the course were so passionate and helped foster my newfound love for teaching. I definitely hope to teach throughout my career and it would be extra special to be able to come back to the program that has given me so much and teach a few lectures to future BMLSc students.

What advice do you have for students entering the BMLSc program?

My advice to students entering the BMLSc program would be to take advantage of the many amazing support systems and opportunities it has to offer. A program of this size gives students the opportunity to really get to know their peers, members of the teaching faculty, and brilliant instructors that come in throughout the semester. Learning from your peers and being able to use each other for support will bring so much enjoyment and help many students especially in third year when exam seasons can be particularly stressful. Reaching out to instructors can lead to great conversations that foster learning or even give rise to opportunities outside of the classroom such as research, employment, or mentoring. One of the most important things I learned through this program is that there are so many people who would love to use their experience to help others if students take the initiative to reach out.

Where do you find inspiration?

Honestly, I find inspiration everywhere.

• My parents have always inspired me from a young age; they are incredibly gifted, kind-hearted individuals who have shown me what a strong work ethic looks like and fueled my love for learning at a young age. More importantly, they never fail to show me what it looks like to be a good person and give back to others. My sisters do the same and they inspire me with their intelligence, resilience, and their care for others.
• I am inspired by my friends and my peers in university who I have watched accomplish great things and always support me towards my own goals.
• I am inspired by the incredible professors I’ve had throughout my time at UBC, especially those in the BMLSc program, who have been incredibly supportive and have shown me what it truly means to care about student learning. They are very bright individuals and I had the pleasure of watching them go the extra mile for students.
• I am inspired by each and every one of the hematopathologists at BC Children’s Hospital. These individuals welcomed me with incredible kindness, went out of their way to teach me, and gave me incredible opportunities to learn and challenge myself.
• Lastly, I am inspired by UBC itself. I am always in awe of the tremendous work conducted by some of the amazing researchers and students and hope to contribute to it one day.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am currently studying for the MCAT while continuing to pursue activities of interest such as my volunteer work in the Emergency Department of Vancouver General Hospital, mentoring, my work at Canucks Autism Network, and golf. I hope to begin work in a clinical setting while applying to medical schools in the fall.

What does a healthy society mean to you?

A healthy society to me is one that addresses many social determinants of health such as education, social support systems, housing, and food security to best address the health of every single member of the community. It is a society that tries to, and can hopefully succeed in, eliminating health disparities through well guided policy driven by research. Beyond physical health, I believe a healthy society is one that encompasses mental and social well-being. It is a society that encourages open dialogue and discourse as well as open mindedness and growth while always showing kindness, patience, respect, compassion, and care for others.

Jorden Hendry (she/her) is a mixed settler/Tsimshian and a member of the Lax Kw’alaams band. She recently completed a Master of Public Health from UBC and will be starting a PhD program in September 2022. Jorden’s area of interest during her studies has been Indigenous Public Health and understanding the systems that drive health disparities. She intends to better understand the prevalence and factors associated with experiences of racism to inform policy and service provision. Her work also focuses on integrating Indigenous ways of knowing into multiple levels of governance at UBC, doing so through serving on committees at the School of Population and Public Health and being a graduate student representative to the UBC Vancouver Senate.

What drew you to the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at UBC?

During my undergrad at UBC, I had the opportunity to complete many Work Learn positions with the Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (CEIH). Through my work with the Centre, I was able to see the tangible ways they support Indigenous peoples’ health through education, Indigenous leadership, and research. CEIH is led by many strong leaders, many of which became my mentors. Through this, I was introduced to the MPH program where I felt I could advance my knowledge and better support the health of my people.

How has studying in the MPH program made an impact on you?

With the completion of the MPH program, I now have the tools to be able to make evidence-based decisions to address public health issues within my community. Being able to analyze and apply information that will improve the wellness of Indigenous peoples and communities was my ultimate goal of completing this program.

What was something you learned in the MPH program that surprised you?

I was surprised by the genuine interest of my peers to learn more about the inequities faced by many populations and their willingness to advance their understanding and accountability to Indigenous public health.

What advice do you have for students entering the MPH program?

Lean on your peers during the program! Because of the cohort-based model, there are plenty of opportunities to collaborate and learn with and from your peers. Everyone comes from varying backgrounds and each person has unique experiences prior to coming to the program.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration from all the amazing Indigenous mentors and non-Indigenous allies who are paving the way. I look up to those who are supporting ceremony, ways of knowing, traditional governance, and relationality within institutional settings.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will be starting a doctoral program with the School of Population and Public Health. I will be working with the Cedar Project, a community-driven and Indigenous-governed research study designed to explore the ways in which historical and lifetime traumas affect young Indigenous peoples’ health. Through my future work with the Cedar Project, I intend to use the research findings to provide insight into critical areas of need, and in turn influence public policy.