Where Math Meets Mentorship
“Even after 25 years, I’m still learning new material and excited about teaching and learning. I want to help others, learn new skills and find enjoyment in the things I do.”
— Wendy Weber
A love for geometry encircles Wendy Weber, professor of mathematics, in her office. The beauty of the math, shapes and patterns can be found on the wallpaper border in her office, books she reads and the art on her tidy shelves. Many creative and whimsical pieces come from students who created geometry-focused art for a Central project.
“I love patterns and shapes and looking at the relationships between things that you never thought were going to be related,” Weber says. “My favorite classes to teach are between calculus and geometry. Geometry is my area.”
Weber is highly organized and detail-oriented, which aligns with geometry. She reminds students that Einstein’s theory of relativity has to do with geometry.
“Math is problem-solving. I love solving problems,” she says. “People often think of math as just having one solution. Sometimes, that’s true but there are five separate ways to get there — all unique in their own way. I like that sort of creativity.”
“I love the faculty I work with, literally and figuratively. I married my husband who works at Central. He is the biggest support person in my life and his office is right next door,” Weber says.
Weber and Tom Linton, associate professor of mathematics and computer science, started at Central the same year and began teaching calculus with Mark Johnson, emeritus professor of mathematics and computer science. Every Friday afternoon, the three of them would get together to talk math. Weber explains they were teaching a different pedagogy than she had experienced before.
“Mark and Tom were supportive because Tom had done something similar,” Weber says. “After our work meeting, we would inevitably want to grab a bite to eat. Mark would call his wife, Lyn, and we started hanging out. Those Friday nights led to 22 years of marriage to Tom.”
One reason she enjoys being a math professor is serving as a role model for math majors like Elise Askelsen ’20 who wants to teach college-level math.
“I know I was a huge part of her being able to see herself in this position,” she says. “This is something I never had. I didn’t have female math teachers in college or graduate school. I feel like that’s something I can contribute to at Central. It’s hard to imagine yourself doing something if you don’t see somebody like yourself.”
Weber went to the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota, which is an all-female school and graduated with a math major and a Spanish minor. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she immediately went to graduate school at the University of Kentucky, where she spent six years earning a master’s and Ph.D. While at UK, she had many opportunities to teach courses.
“I was a teaching assistant for undergraduates,” Weber says. “I loved explaining math and seeing when they ‘got it.’ I started thinking ‘How can I do what my professors are doing?’”
She taught as a primary instructor of calculus and matrix algebra, which Weber recognized was special. Not many people come out of grad school in math having taught classes at the matrix algebra level.
From graduate school, Weber came to Central. She soon jumped into faculty governance committees. She has served on several faculty committees and is most proud of her work on the faculty personnel committee and chairing it for three years. She also served on the faculty policy committee.
“I think of service as a strength and I enjoy it,” she says.
“Even after 25 years, I’m still learning new material and excited about teaching and learning. I want to help others, learn new skills and find enjoyment in the things I do.”