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In 2003, Professor Noel-Ann Bradshaw was unemployed. Between looking after her four children, she began teaching numeracy to adults, which she found enjoyable and rewarding, and this sparked her interest for a potential career as a mathematics teacher. However, as she had not passed her Mathematics A-level due to a lack of confidence in herself, she knew there was a chance she would not be accepted to study the subject at university level.
The University of Greenwich being her closest university, within commuting distance to her home in Bromley, she attended an Open Day and discussed her situation with Dr Nadarajah Ramesh, Programme Leader for the University’s mathematics courses. Dr Ramesh spoke to her about the course and advised her about an entrance test for the course being offered at the time. Professor Bradshaw also received invaluable advice around fees and funding from the university’s Finance Team during her application process. After passing the mathematics entrance test with a high grade and being accepted onto the course, she became a University of Greenwich student in 2004 – the start of an inspiring academic and professional journey.
Teaching informed by leading bodies and student feedback
Professor Bradshaw enjoyed her time as a Greenwich mathematics student and valued being exposed to organisations such as the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), the leading professional body for mathematicians in the UK. She joined the IMA as a student and is still involved with the organisation today – she currently chairs their Higher Education Committee. The IMA works closely with Greenwich to accredit its mathematics degrees and collaborate on activities and initiatives to benefit students, including the annual Greenwich Maths Time outreach event which features top UK maths communicators for entertaining and educational lectures.
Professor Bradshaw wanted to use her time to make a positive difference to the course and her fellow students. She was able to put forwards enhance opportunities for students in her role as Class Representative in her final year.
I began teaching and initiated several innovations to help improve the student experience – these were informed by my experience as a student. Many of the activities I started are continuing today, and include Maths Arcade, the IMA Business Game and MathSoc – now named Greenwich Mathematics Society.
Professor Bradshaw started a PhD at Greenwich whilst working as a lecturer and personal tutor, and then accepted a role as Admissions and New Arrivals Tutor at the University’s School of Computing and Mathematics. She was then offered a role as Faculty Director of Employability, before deciding to step away from higher education and use her data science skills in a large retail organisation as a Senior Data Scientist, which she says gave her valuable insights into the complexities and possibilities of data management and analysis.
Her career progressed again when she accepted the prestigious role of Head of School for Computing and Digital Media in the London Metropolitan University. She describes her skills of problem-solving, honed during her degree, as being pivotal for this role, particularly during the pandemic. Finally, in 2022, she came full circle, becoming Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Engineering and Science back at the University of Greenwich, one of the Schools she oversees being the same School she graduated from.
Getting involved with professional bodies like the IMA was a real boost to my career, which would never have been possible without my mathematics degree from Greenwich. To say my degree at Greenwich was life-changing is not an exaggeration – I was unemployed and living on a council estate before starting at Greenwich.
Inspire others to follow your footsteps
As Deputy Dean, Professor Bradshaw oversees the running of all schools in the Faculty of Engineering and Science, the home to all STEM courses at the University. Her daily role sees her ensuring programmes are well-structured and delivered, real-world-relevant and imbued with the latest developments and insights. Professor Bradshaw also oversees the Faculty’s many local, national and international academic partnerships.
As a woman in STEM, I want to use my experience and position to help encourage other women to go into maths and other STEM subjects. The number of careers that these subjects can unlock is huge. Mathematics underpins all of these. I went into my degree thinking I would end up teaching but my career has taken on different paths that I would never have thought were possible before, and I love the variety of my current role.
The University of Greenwich prides itself on providing opportunities to students from different and underrepresented backgrounds and has received noteworthy results in tables measuring social mobility. The Mathematics Team at Greenwich has supported students with non-traditional educational backgrounds to access the course, recognising relevant work experience and prior learning. Although the entrance test taken by Professor Bradshaw to access her course is no longer offered, students who may not meet the entry criteria are encouraged to reach out to the Mathematics Team who will be happy to offer advice on possible pathways to accessing the course.
