Judy Gill

Judy Gill sees the world through the lens of mathematics. When looking at a blue sky, she thinks about planets and elliptical orbits. The ocean tides bring trigonometry functions to mind. “It’s a universal language and we can understand each other through math,” Gill says.

$Math professor Judy Gill$ An associate professor of mathematics and co-chair of the Math department at the Norfolk Campus of Tidewater Community College, Gill brings her passion for mathematics to the classroom, helping students understand difficult formulas, abstract calculations and even personal finances. “Sometimes students don’t understand student loan repayment plans or credit cards with compound interest, and I make it a point to review those areas in class.”

From the time she was old enough to “play school” with her younger sister, Gill enjoyed teaching. “We’d spend hours at the chalk board as I taught ‘class.’ Now I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Gill adds.

Gill teaches a variety of math classes at the college, from traditional to online to hybrid courses. “This is an exciting time to teach math because of all of the technology that’s available from the SMART board to math websites to 3-D visualization,” Gill notes. “It’s important to keep students’ learning styles in mind, and to do many activities in the classroom to build skills.”

Connecting with her students come naturally to Gill because she’s been in their shoes. “I know what’s it’s like to juggle family and school,” Gill says. “I have an open classroom and encourage discussion and questions. And I welcome students to visit during office hours.”