Patricia Manko Lar is a Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Jos. Born to Late Honorable Henry J Burromvyat and Honorable Cecilia Jummai Burromvyat in Pil Gani, Langtang North LGA. She is the second child in a family of 9 children. Started her primary education at the Saint Theresa Girls Primary school in Jos, and later transferred to the Local School Board primary school, Riyom.
She proceeded to the famous Gindiri Girls High School (GHS) in 1976 where she obtained the GCE in 1981. Patricia went on to obtain her A levels certificate in Chemistry, Physics and Biology at the School of Basic studies (SBS) in Zaria.
In 1986, she obtained a B.Sc in Microbiology from ABU, Zaria, after which she served the one year National Youth Service (NYSC) in the former Gongola state (now Adamawa).Manko started work as a Graduate Assistant in 1987 at the University of Jos, Department of Medical Microbiology. One year later, she began the M.Sc. programme in Medical Microbiology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and later obtained a Ph.D. in Medical Parasitology in the same institution.
From 2003 to 2005, she studied in the United States at the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland under the NIH-Fogarty AITRP program for leadership in AIDS.
Manko Lar returned to the University of Jos and rose to the rank of Associate Professor in 2012 and was promoted as Professor of Medical Microbiology in October, 2015.
To her credit, Lar has more than 34 publications in peer reviewed journals. She has supervised more than 100 undergraduate student projects and several Masters and PHD research projects. She has served at various times as an Assessor for promotion to professorship and External examiner to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, University of Abuja; Federal University, Lafia.
Between 2008 to 2013, Patricia served as the Project Director and chairperson of JCPC (the projects management committee) of the University of Jos-Carnegie Corporation of New York partnership project. In this role, she worked on behalf of the Vice Chancellor and the Carnegie Corporation staff in New York and successfully closed out the institutional strengthening grant.
She worked with various teams within the University to achieve some notable achievements such as the digitization of students records and made transcript issuance much easier for the university, the development of the UNIJOS research policy and the establishment of the Office of Research (ORD); Promoted gender equity and ensured the recognition and use of the Gender policy in the University, ensured the involvement of students in decision making and promoted the popularization of the Female Support Initiative (FSI) and the Partnership with Students initiative (PWS). She also worked on the formulation of an E-learning policy and capacity building for the ICT Technical staff of the university.
From 2013 to 2017, Lar served as Director of Linkages for the University of Jos. She also served as a member of the University senate and Head of Microbiology Department for 2 terms of 4 years. She was also the Head of Microbiology, at the Plateau State University, Bokkos on sabbatical.She has served as resource person for the NUC accreditation exercises and was also appointed a member of the Presidential Visitation Panel to an Inter University Language Center.
Professional Networks
Patricia is a member of the Society of Research Administrators international (SRAi), member of the South African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) and currently, she is the Secretary General of the West Africa Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA).
She is also a member and two terms Assistant Secretary General of the Parasitology and Public Health Society of Nigeria (PPSN) and a member of the Nigerian Society for Microbiology (NSM). American Society of Microbiology (ASM). Patricia currently serves on the SARIMA Science Granting Council Initiative (SGCI) Project Management Committee with headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is also the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) officer of the University of Jos Africa Center for Excellence in Phytomedicine (ACEPRD) and is a research mentor with the Unijos NIH-STAMINA project.
Women Networks
She was selected to attend the professional development programme for senior university women at the Higher Education Resource program (HERSA academy) in Cape Town in 2008, and was also selected as fellow of the International Women Leadership Forum (IWF) United States of America in 2010-2011).
She has also been a member of several womens organizations such as the Zumutan Matan Ekklesia (ZME) COCIN Chaplaincy, Lagos and COCIN headquarters, Jos. Member of the Peculiar Women Fellowship international; member, Total Woman Foundation (TOWOF), member, University of Jos Women Association (UJWA), Member National Association of Women Academics (NAWACS), Third World Organization of Women in Science (TWOS) among many others.
Trustee of Nigeria Women Networks for Sustainable Development (NWNSD)
Some Notable Recognitions
Taroh Man of the Year Awards (TAMOTYA), July 2018.
Women Achievers Award in recognition of long service, contribution and accomplishments by the Centre for Gender and Womens studies, UNIJOS (2015).
Award as Crusader of Human Development in recognition of service to humanity, through contribution to human development and support for the less privileged (2013).
Award as Epitome of Academic Excellence by Tarok Students Association (TAROSA) Unijos Chapter (2008).
Award of Excellence as ICT ICON, by B.Sc Microbiology Graduating class of 2006/ 2007
Community Service
Member, Accommodations Committee for the 2003 And 2004 combined Convocation Ceremony and Chairperson, Accommodations Committee, 25th Convocation, Unijos (2007)
Member, University of Jos, Sports Committee (2007-2010)
Member, Governing Council, Plateau State Polytechnic, Barakin Ladi (2009- 2011)
Member, Governing Council, Plateau State University (PLASU) (2012 -2015)
Chairperson LOC, 5TH Annual International Conference on ICT Application of AICTRAA (2010).
Senate Representative Appointments and Discipline Committee Junior Staff (2013- 2017)
Senate Representative, Board of Governors, Center for Continuing Education, University of Jos (2014-2017)
Member, Board of Trustees Nigeria Network of Women for Sustainable Development (NWNSD).
Member, Board of Trustees of several NGOs in Jos
Matron, Tarok Students Association (TAROSA) University of Jos.
Matron National Ngwang ishi Ocha Tarok
Extracurricular Activities
Lar has visited countries such as Canada, USA, UK, Israel, France and South Africa, Uganda, Liberia, Cote d’ivoire, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Gambia, Zambia and Kenya to attend conferences during which she made scholarly presentations. Lar loves people, travelling, singing gospel songs and dancing, reading newspapers and watching drama.
