Dr. Judith Lobo - A Role Model to Youngsters Who Aim High in Life

By Dr. Eugene D’Souza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubelle, 25 April 2010: Success comes to those who aim high in life and climb the ladder of success step by step with hard work and determination. This is the profile of such a young person, Dr. Judith Lobo of Moodubelle, who achieved laurels as a student by excellent academic performance reaching the pinnacle of academic career with Ph. D. degree in the subject of Nursing and choosing the teaching profession in the same filed, first in Manipal and presently in the College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University at Muscat as an Assistant Dean Clinical Training and Head of the Department of Maternal and Child Health. By her hard work and perseverance, Dr. Judith has achieved great success in her life and career and she is a role model to the youngsters who aspire to aim high in whatever field they choose.

Judith was born on 1st March 1971 as the eldest daughter among three children, two sons and a daughter of Benedict and Angela Noronha of Pamboor, presently residing in Udupi. Benedict Noronha was working for the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and after retirement is a practicing lawyer in Udupi and Angela has retired as a teacher from the Christian High School, Udupi. One of Judith’s two brothers, Amith Anand is in Muscat as the Manager-Business Development-Oman in Power Economy Company and Vijay Anand as Sales Executive in Standard Chartered Bank in Bahrain.

Judith had her initial education in the Christian High School up to 7th standard. Thereafter she attended St. Cecily Girls High School up to SSLC which she completed in 1986. While in school, Judith had been a brilliant student and scored highest marks in SSLC among the Catholic students of the Udupi Parish. Following SSLC, Judith continued her Junior College PUC Science education in the Poorna Prajna College, Udupi.

Though Judith had scored good marks in science subjects in the PUC examinations held in 1988, she found it difficult to get admission in nearby engineering colleges without paying the capitation fee. Being disappointed in not being able to pursue her dream of becoming an engineer, Judith joined the general B.Sc course in the Poorna Prajna College. Meanwhile, Fr. Peter Noronha, the Parish Priest of Our Mother Sorrows Church, Udupi, suggested Judith and her parents that she should join B.Sc Nursing course in Fr. Muller’s College of Nursing, Mangalore as  it would give her better scope in the future and definitely he said she can achieve her doctorate. Judith and her parents accepted Fr. Peter’s advice and she joined the four years B.Sc Nursing course in Fr. Muller’s College of Nursing in 1988. In 1992, Judith completed the B.Sc Nursing course with flying colours securing distinction with 79.8 per cent and the Highest Academic Performance Award for Basic BSc Nursing Programme from the Mangalore University.

As Judith had the gift of learning, she continued her education and completed MSc Nursing through the College of Nursing of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in 1996 with distinction bagging Dr. TMA Pai Gold Medal for First Rank in MSc Nursing. Her next academic degree was M Phil Nursing in 1999 with First Class and the crowning glory of Judith’s academic achievement was that she secured the Ph D degree in 2007 from the Manipal University for her doctoral thesis titled: “Correlates of Anaemia in Pregnancy and Pauperism and the Effectiveness of Health Package Programme in Management of Anaemia in Selected Hospitals of Udupi District, Karnataka.”

In between, Judith also acquired proficiency in computers through Diploma in Computer Application (1993). As she was keen to make her career in teaching, Judith cleared the University Grants Commission’s Examination for lectureship (1999). She also did six months Certificate Course in ‘Biostatistics and Epidemiology’ in 2007.

Judith was very much interested in teaching career and started in a humble way as a Nursing Tutor for one year (1992-93) in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBG) in the School of Nursing, Lombard Memorial Hospital, Udupi.

With the dream of making it big in the teaching profession, Judith had been looking for better opportunities and reputed institutions. The big break in Judith’s career came about when she was appointed as an Assistant   Lecturer in the Department of OBG in the Manipal College of Nursing, MAHE, Manipal where she worked for one year (1993-94) in this capacity. The college deputed her for M.Sc. Nursing Course and she is grateful for her three teachers,  Prof. P.P.Bhanumathi , Dr. Aparna Bhaduri and Dr. Anice George Jain who inspired, encouraged  and supported to climb up the career ladder. Her thorough knowledge of the subject, effective teaching and rapport with the colleagues and students brought her regular promotions in the form of Assistant Professor (1999-2002), Associate Professor (2002-04), Officiating Professor (2004-05) and Professor (2005-08).

Being in the same college  for nearly 15 years, Judith was looking for opportunities to have new experience  and develop herself in an international environment. Thus, she began to look out for placement outside India.  Responding to an advertisement in a news paper for the post of an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman, Judith came to Muscat in September 2008. After one year of her service, Judith is presently the Assistant Dean Clinical Training and Head of the Department of Maternal and Child Health Department of the College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University at Muscat. She has been in the teaching field for the last fifteen years out of which she had taught the undergraduate Nursing students for fifteen years and postgraduates for eleven years.

Besides her teaching career, Judith has been spending considerable time in research work producing scholarly research papers and presenting them in international and national conferences and also publishing some of them in reputed journals. So far Judith has undertaken six major research projects, presented three research papers in International Conferences-two at Hong Kong (2003) and one in Muscat (2010) and has published ten  research papers of which six of them are in reputed national and international journals and for in conference abstracts proceedings . She was conferred with the faculty Award for the Best Research Publication in the Indexed Journal during the Annual Day of   Manipal College of Nursing. Judith had also attended sixteen national and regional conferences in India in different capacities as presenter, moderator and resource person and participated in as many as 32 workshops.

Being in the teaching profession, Judith has been an internal as well as external examiner for the BSc, MSc and M.Phil Courses in the Mangalore University, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)-Deemed University.  Judith has also guided and co-guided research work of as many as seventeen  MSc and six M. Phil Nursing students.

Judith had been a member of a number of Academic Bodies such as Life Member of Trained Nurses Association of India since 1991; President of Alumni Association, Manipal (1997-2000); Member of Fellow of Manipal Academy of Higher Education since 1993; Life Member of Indian Society of Health Administration, Bangalore since 2001; Member of Board of Studies for Faculty of Nursing at MAHE from 2002; Member of Manipal University Research Committee since 2005, etc.

Since her appointment in the College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University at Muscat, Judith has been the active member of as many as seven Academic Bodies including Member of the College Board, Research Committee, Accreditation Committee, Executive Committee, Chairperson of Internship Committee, Member and Secretary of Curriculum Committee. Recently, Judith has a co-investigator received a grant from the Sultan Qaboos University for a major research project on “Effect of Post-natal Exercise on Physical and Psychological Wellbeing of Omani Women”.

Judith married Valerian Lobo, son of Baptist and Christine Lobo of Thirlapalke in June 1998. Valerian is a Bachelor of Engineer U.V.C.E. Bangalore. Bangalore University (BE Mechanical plus MEO Class I, Motor  Competency ) and presently is the Chief Marine Engineer with Mitsui OSK Lines. Judith is very appreciative of the unstinted support that Valerian had extended to her in achieving the academic and professional excellence. They have two lovely children. Elder daughter, Janeeta who is seven years old studies in the second standard at the Indian School at Ghubra, Muscat and the younger son-Vinal is two years old. Judith has been provided with spacious staff quarters with all amenities by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman. Judith is grateful to her parents who supported her in taking care of her children to fulfil her academic and professional achievements.  Her Father and mother-in law have given her good support and encouragement to pursue her studies which is very fortunate for a married girl.

Janeeta & Vinal

In spite of her excellent academic achievements and high professional profile, Dr. Judith manifests extreme simplicity and humility. She is soft-spoken, homely and amiable. Though she is busy in teaching and administrative work, Judith finds time to be with her children and also teach Catechism to the fifth standard students at the Holy Spirit Church, Ghala in Muscat. She is an active member of the Bellevision-Muscat and is a good compeer. She had anchored the Bellevision programme in Muscat during the last week of January 2010.

Father in law and mother in law ( Baptist and Christine Lobo)

Father and mother (Benedict and Angela Noronha)

Talking about the future, Dr. Judith says that she had a plan to be for four years in Muscat but may have to go back to Moodubelle after her completing her contract with the Sultan Qaboos University as her in-laws are quite old and may require her help in their old age. Though she is quite happy and content with the position as the Assistant Dean Clinical Training and Head of Maternal and Child Health Department, College of Nursing,  Sultan Qaboos University at Muscat, she would leave it to the will of God and decision of her husband, Valerian as to what she will have to do in future.

Bellevision is proud of Dr. Judith Lobo who has achieved great height in academic and professional career and wishes her all the best in future as well.