Judy Ford
Judy graduated from Lady Margaret Hall in 1979.
What do you do now?
I'm a part-time Senior Lecturer in the Mathematics Department at the University of Chester.
When you were a student, did you imagine you'd find yourself doing what you do now?
When you were a student, did you imagine you'd find yourself doing what you do now?
No - I was intending to go into industry.
What success in your life are you most proud of?
Setting up the North West Stroke Research Network from scratch, building a team and running the network for seven years.
What advice would you give your student self?
Don't focus so much on your academic work. Do more to collect transferable skills.
What do you hope you'll be doing in ten years' time?
Retired from paid employment - and a successful novelist!
Do you describe yourself as a mathematician?
Yes. I have always described myself as a mathematician, even when I was working as a manager. It's a way of thinking rather than an occupation. Once a mathematician, always a mathematician.
Are there things you find frustrating about your work/life balance?
No. I've got it all under control and winding down towards retirement. I was one of the lucky generation of women who had all the opportunities of the equal pay act, but without it being unacceptable to take time out as a non-working mother. I don't think it's as easy for today's parents who are under much more pressure to have a career and not to take any breaks in it.