In memory of Pat Judd

tribute by moira nash (née taylor)

“Tony has asked me to say a few words about ‘Professor Judd’. That is: ‘Pat the scientist and academic’. I am honoured to do this, but feel that my allotted two to four minutes may be somewhat inadequate. Preston Crematorium may just have to wait!

In order to get a feel for the enormous contribution that Pat made in her role as a scientist and academic, I would like you to imagine that standing beside me on my right is a sizable group of PhD students, post docs (the first job after a PhD), and other research workers. Having benefited from Pat’s deep scientific knowledge, sound guidance and thoughtful support, they successfully completed the research studies they were undertaking. I am proud to say that I can stand in that group.

On my left is another, not inconsiderable group consisting of colleagues, both in dietetics and the university setting, who benefited from research collaborations with Pat. Collaborations which were highly successful - again a group that I am proud to say that I am a member of.

Behind me in an arc, are the large group of patients who benefited from Pat’s insistence on a scientific, evidence based approach to dietetics. We must not forget that Pat practiced as a dietitian for much of her working life. Behind the patients, stretching way back, is an enormous group of student dietitians trained by Pat to take a scientific, evidence based approach. She taught students to both critically review scientific studies undertaken by others and to aspire to contribute their own research to our discipline. At a conservative estimate, there are 1,500 undergraduate students from the UK, Malaysia and South Africa. One thousand five hundred- that is a lot of students and we must not forget the students that they have and will train in the ‘Pat mould’!

Finally, behind them, stretching way, way back is the rest of the profession in the UK and other countries, who have benefited from Pat’s perspective as a scientist when working with the British Dietetic Association and the Health and Care Professions Council. Pat was Scientific editor of the Journal of Human Nutrition and a key contributor to the design of a radicle new curriculum in 2000; a new curriculum that put science and research very much at the centre of the pre-registration training of dietitians. However, Pat would not leave it there. She would say, ‘So you claim I did some good as a scientist and academic? Well, where is the EVIDENCE?’

I am sure that many of you in the audience could give me your own examples of ‘evidence’. Let’s start by looking at the first of the three areas of the academic’s role - research. You only have to ‘google’ ‘Judd PA’ to see the breadth, depth and quality of Pat’s scientific publications. It is a real credit to her that her last publication was only last year. Pat has worked alongside great names, including Truswell. I believe that Pat’s strength lay in her ability to see the important question and pursue it. To give but one example, she and I were jointly supervising a PhD student, who is not sitting far from me today. The then student and I were deeply and terminally bogged down in a discussion about the detail of a study we were trying to design. I suddenly be-

came aware that Pat had gone very quiet and I looked around at her somewhat apprehensively. She had on her face that sunny look, that I am sure is familiar to you all, when she was about to throw back her head and really laugh! Laugh she did, without causing any offence, and said, ‘Just get on with it you two!’ That was perhaps one of the most important lessons she taught me about research and life: ‘Just get on with it!’

In the second academic role, a teacher, she had an equally precious talent. Many people have mentioned to me, an experience that I often had. You could knock on her door with an interesting but ill thought through idea, and you would leave with your idea gently translated into an interesting and workable plan. At no point would she have made you feel inadequate or have reduced your confidence, in fact quite the opposite. It would only be later that you would realise what a disaster you might have had on your hands if it had not been for Pat!

Finally, the third role of an academic: administration and pastoral care. Pat was always highly organised with respect to administration and excelled in providing pastoral support to students. I was reminded only last week by Pat Howard, who was at one time our external examiner, of the concern Pat (Judd) had shown and effort she had invested in one of our weaker students. Pat was not just interested in the high flying members of the class.

So, we have plenty of evidence of Pat’s success as a scientist and academic. However, again, she would not leave it there. She would be saying, ‘Moira, fine you have some evidence, but what is the MECHANISM?’ To answer this question we have to drill down to what was the essential essence of Pat that made her so special, not just as a scientist and academic, but in life. I’ll not apologise now for referring to something that has already been touched upon. I believe it was Pat’s incredible ability to take on multiple roles in the lives of those around her. She was not just the research supervisor, for example, she would be so much more to that person.

Taking myself as an example, Pat was my colleague, then my mentor, but also my friend, aunty, big sister and, when required, ‘Mum’. Pat would very much be there when times were tough. However, she would also rejoice at the good times in other people’s lives. When I finally married someone who Pat approved off and finally got around to having two children, Pat celebrated the birth of each, by sewing a beautiful and personalised quilt. Each was signed off with the quote ‘Made with love for…’.

It is with the words of my children that I will round off. When I told my eight-year-old son Joseph of Pat’s death, he said, ‘But she was so lovely and she was not old.’ I think he voiced a feeling that I am sure many of you share with me, that Pat has left us too soon and in the middle of a conversation. I feel great sadness, but also frustration and disappointment that we will never finish the discussions that we were going to continue when we were next to meet.

When I then asked my children what I should say today about Pat, they came up with four words. They said she was clever and hard-working. The truth of this is, I think, clearly demonstrated by her enormous success as Professor Judd - the scientist and academic. They then said that she was kind - clearly this is not in question. Then they added something that made me stop and think a moment. They said that Pat was calm. A picture came to my mind of Pat standing at our front door with a beautiful bunch of tulips, bringing calm to the chaos soon after Susannah was born. I realised that the children had hit on something important. In any situation, research, teaching or life, if Pat was involved, then there was a certainty that ‘everything will be alright’.

I know that times are not going to be easy, but I feel that Pat’s legacy to us is to ‘just get on with it’ and that ‘everything will be alright’. Thank you.”