Judit Moldovan was born on February 8th, 1960 in a small village in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania, Romania. Her parents, who were doctors, moved to the town of Zalau in Transylvania a few years later, where she grew up and met her husband, her high-school sweetheart, Lajos Moldovan. Her passion for chemistry started early, partly thanks to her parents’ interest in the field and their encouragement in her developing fascination. She completed her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, the university where she later also finished her Master’s degree in Biochemistry.

After finishing her university education at the age of 24, Judit started her career working at the hospital in Zalau as a laboratory biochemist. She worked there for 15 years, moving up through the ranks to become the head of the Biochemistry Unit. During this time, she also completed higher training in chemistry and biochemistry in Cambridge, England through the help of sponsors in Cambridge.

After many years of deliberation, in 1999, Judit and her husband decided to move to Canada to start a new life here with their two children (Reka and Andras). At first, Judit found it difficult to get a job in her chosen field, and thus had to settle for jobs outside of chemistry for the first few years. But she did not give up, and her strong ambition led her to volunteer at the Okanagan University College (OUC) Adult Basic Education program. Because of her excellent work as a tutor there, she was given the opportunity to teach two chemistry Distance Education classes at OUC, all the while volunteering to help teach the chemistry labs and courses on campus as well.

In 2005, she became the chemistry lab manager at UBC Okanagan. This became the career she loved the most: she was completely in her element here. She not only was able to work in her chosen field of chemistry, but she also had the opportunity to put her great people skills to work as well. She loved working with students, teaching assistants, technicians, and professors. Coupled with her unending enthusiasm and positive energy, this allowed her to create one of the most effective laboratory programs at the university. She was very well loved and respected by all who she worked with, as she worked relentlessly to improve the program. She designed many of the chemistry labs, helped to write numerous lab manuals, supervised and mentored teaching assistants and technicians, taught chemistry laboratories, and supervised summer undergraduate students exploring green research projects. She worked tirelessly, despite many hardships in her own life, until her untimely death in 2011. Her spirit and enthusiasm live on in the program that she created, in the people who knew her and worked with her, and in the countless students whose education was enhanced by the results of her work.

Judit dedicated her career to chemistry and the education of students. As Lab Manager, she developed an outstanding undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory Program at UBC-Okanagan campus. This program relies on student Teaching Assistants (TAs) to teach dozens of lab sections each term. Judit loved her TAs and unceasingly encouraged and supported them professionally and personally. She taught them, mentored them, watched over them, and brought out the best in them. She wrote innumerable recommendation letters and supported their professional goals and aspirations. They are an ever-changing cadre of talented young people, who collectively are the heart of our undergraduate laboratory program in Chemistry, and much deserving of recognition.

The Judit Moldovan Annual TA Award is a service award for Chemistry Teaching Assistants at UBC-Okanagan Campus in honor of Judit Moldovan, Chemistry Lab Manager, 2005-2011.

Your donation will honor Judit’s memory, and help to support talented students in chemistry.