The University of Jos (UNIJOS) has appointed Professor Patricia Manko Lar as its 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor, making her the first woman to head the institution since its establishment.
Lar succeeds Professor Tanko Ishaya, whose tenure ends this month, following her appointment at a special meeting of the university’s 15th Governing Council.
The appointment was announced on Thursday by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Grace Folashade Bent.
Presenting the appointment letter, Bent urged the incoming Vice-Chancellor to remain focused and provide effective leadership for the institution.
A distinguished Medical Microbiologist, Lar joined UNIJOS as a Graduate Assistant in 1987 and rose through the academic ranks to become a Professor of Medical Microbiology in 2015.
She obtained her academic degrees from Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Lagos before undertaking postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland, United States, under the NIH-Fogarty Fellowship Programme.
Her research interests include infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, malaria and antimicrobial resistance. She has also authored more than 40 scholarly publications.
Lar has held several administrative positions within and outside the university, including Head of the Department of Microbiology and Director of Linkages and Collaborations.
She also served as Secretary-General of the West African Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA), contributing to research management and academic collaboration across the region.
Before her appointment as substantive Vice-Chancellor, Lar served as Acting Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja.
Her emergence as the university’s first female Vice-Chancellor represents a significant milestone in the institution’s more than five decades of academic history.
She is expected to bring her wealth of academic and administrative experience to bear in advancing the university’s academic standards, research activities and institutional development.
