UNIJOS Appoints Patricia Lar as First Female Vice-Chancellor

Yemi Kosoko in Jos 

The University of Jos (UNIJOS) has appointed Professor Patricia Manko Lar as its 11th substantive and first female Vice-Chancellor, succeeding Professor Tanko Ishaya whose tenure ends this month.

The appointment was announced on Thursday by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Grace Folashade Bent, during a special meeting of the university’s 15th Governing Council.

Presenting the appointment letter, Bent urged the incoming vice-chancellor to remain focused in providing leadership for the institution.

A distinguished Medical Microbiologist, Lar joined the University of Jos as a Graduate Assistant in 1987 and rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Medical Microbiology in 2015.

She holds degrees from Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Lagos and undertook postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland, United States, under the NIH-Fogarty Fellowship Programme.

Lar is widely recognised for her research in infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and antimicrobial resistance, and has authored more than 40 scholarly publications.

She has served in several leadership capacities within and outside the university, including Head of the Department of Microbiology, Director of Linkages and Collaborations, and Secretary-General of the West African Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA).

Before her appointment at UNIJOS, she served as Acting Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja.

Her appointment marks a historic milestone for the University of Jos, making her the first woman to occupy the institution’s highest office since its establishment over five decades ago.