Vicky Neale, our much loved colleague and inspiration to so many, died on Wednesday 3 May. If you would like to share your memories of Vicky, please use the link below.
You can also visit our social media channels where many people have shared their thoughts and demonstrated just what an impact Vicky had on people's lives, mathematical and beyond.
Thank you for all the messages below.
Drummond Bone
Very hard to believe such a wonderful colleague is no longer with us.
Otilia Casuneanu
Vicky was a true inspiration as a lecturer and as a tutor. Her dedication to teaching and mathematics changed the course of life for better for so many people, among which I am lucky to be. As a student at Balliol, the Vicky walk was one of my favourite moments of the week as Vicky would manage to lift up my spirits even in the most stressful times. Her energy and general good spirits were so contagious. She was such a great mentor and, dare I say, friend. She will be truly missed!
Rebecca Crossley
Nearly all of my interactions with Vicky were through outreach and teaching events in Oxford. She was always an excellent role model, promoter of women in maths, and so inclusive of everyone. Vicky encouraged many younger students, including myself, to keep pursuing maths and share our knowledge with a wider and younger audience wherever possible. She always had time for the individual, and in doing so, taught me so much about how to teach, amongst other things, right to the end, without ever once complaining. Truly a wonderful person, and an inspiration to many - she will be sorely missed! Thank you, Vicky. Rest in Peace.
Isabella Done
Thank you Vicky for teaching me Analysis I. I will never forget your passion and rigour in teaching the subject. A particular favourite of mine was the way you explained the scenic viewpoint theorem. I owe a lot to you.
Philip Maini
I will never forget the last time I saw Vicky - it was for the cancer podcast series she did. I was very nervous about it but she made me feel so comfortable and it ended up being a really enjoyable chat. It speaks volumes about her incredible strength that she could talk so freely (and with a smile) about a disease that was threatening her.
Vicky was a true role model - she was someone who passionately cared about mathematics and education, and fully devoted herself to helping others and, in doing so, positively impacted so many people. She will live on in our hearts and minds.
Vicky was a true role model - she was someone who passionately cared about mathematics and education, and fully devoted herself to helping others and, in doing so, positively impacted so many people. She will live on in our hearts and minds.
Feiyang Shi
Vicky is definitely the first Oxford mathematician I ever met, it was back in secondary school when I was practicing for BMOs. At that time, number theory was a nightmare to me, even today, and Vicky did all the solution videos for the BMO number theory questions. So I have to admit that I was first scared by her totally because of number theory. But at that time, I had the privilege to take a lecture by Vicky on some content I cannot recall, but I had the only chance to talk to her, about how to prepare for BMOs, although her answer was quite genuine, something like the best way to prepare is to do more past papers, but that seems so precious today.
When I was at UNIQ summer school, fortunately, I met Vicky again, and unfortunately, she brought more content for number theory. Nonetheless, Vicky is a great lecturer, and her cat is so cute! And later on, it might be because of her, I decided ox over cam. Analysis One was definitely the best course in MT21, purely due to the fact Vicky is such a wonderful lecturer, and this time, I didn't get scared by her, I still think that analysis is my favorite course in the first year.
How I wish I could have her as a lecturer more often, How I wish I could ask some more interesting questions back then. Upon writing, it was truly a great sorrow to me, and to everyone in the math department. May her rest in peace.
When I was at UNIQ summer school, fortunately, I met Vicky again, and unfortunately, she brought more content for number theory. Nonetheless, Vicky is a great lecturer, and her cat is so cute! And later on, it might be because of her, I decided ox over cam. Analysis One was definitely the best course in MT21, purely due to the fact Vicky is such a wonderful lecturer, and this time, I didn't get scared by her, I still think that analysis is my favorite course in the first year.
How I wish I could have her as a lecturer more often, How I wish I could ask some more interesting questions back then. Upon writing, it was truly a great sorrow to me, and to everyone in the math department. May her rest in peace.
Siddharth Unnithan Kumar
Vicky taught me group theory during the first year of my undergraduate studies. Her passion and energy still ring clearly in my ears, and her down-to-earth spirit made a big impression on me. She embodied the art of making abstract algebra tangible and meaningful. I'm deeply sad to hear of her passing, and as I now return to group theory in my work many years after attending her lectures, I am finding that so much of her teaching has stayed with me - a testament to her ability to teach and inspire others. My thanks to you Vicky, and go well.
Tudor-Ioan Caba
I first met Vicky as a a highschooler at PROMYS. I remember just how surreal it felt to be meeting her in real life after having seen the famous "Intro to complex numbers" lecture video. I've had the opportunity to have Vicky both as a lecturer as well as a leader twice when I was a PROMYS counselor, and not only was she such an AMAZING lecturer and mathematician, but she had this absolutely magic ability of coming up with the most sensible and reasonable solutions to absolutely. every. single. situation that ever came up. Vicky is my definition of what it means to be a leader and of what being truly passionate about your work looks like. She was a beacon that guided so many people towards pursuing maths - and I wouldn't have been where I am now had it not been for Vicky's encouragement. Thank you, Vicky!
Uzu Lim
I had an impression of Vicky as a passionate lecturer who was eager to spread the beauty of mathematics to the public. I talked to Vicky briefly whilst making annotations of her graph theory revision class. Her explanations were engaging and straightforward, and eagerly responded to requesting additional material from the class. Even though I didn't know her very well, the news is terribly sad because she was an icon for Oxford Mathematics. I hope we can remember her by spreading kindness and enthusiasm to people around us, mathematically or not.
Rosemary Walmsley
I'm so sorry to hear that Vicky Neale has passed away. I didn't know her very well, but she has been an inspiration to me for many years. I first heard her speak at an open day. Her talk was fantastic - I talked about it all the way home. She was a wonderful undergraduate lecturer, infectiously enthusiastic and scrupulously clear. But she also marked my time as an undergraduate in other ways. She organised summer research placements in the maths institute. Even though I was enjoying an undergraduate maths degree, I'd never considered maths research as a possibility. I remember an email from Vicky to all undergraduates. I don't remember what it said, but I remember vividly sitting in the maths institute and thinking for the first time "oh, I could do that" (I did, and later went on to do a DPhil). I interacted with Vicky most directly through outreach, and she was so inspiring. She lit up the room when talking about maths - any maths - and always made you remember the best bits. And she had time for everyone - whether it was helping a small child with a mathematical craft or explaining something sophisticated about prime numbers. She was so generous. And not just with the general public - one time I was helping at an outreach event with her, and we ended up talking about the undergraduate tutorials I was teaching at the time. I'd been struggling with finding extension materials, and she very generously sent me a selection of problems she used. (Incidentally, my students found her lectures just as great as I had done, coming into tutorials with enthusiastic demonstrations based on "Vicky Neale's methods".)
I am so sad for Vicky, for her family and friends, and for everyone who knew and was touched by her. In many ways I hardly knew her, but these small points at which she touched my life have had a profound influence. I have no doubt that there are many others in the same position, and that is a testament to the great mathematician, teacher, and most importantly person she was. I am so sad for the generations of students who will not know her and have the privilege of being taught by her. I will remember Vicky, her brilliance, her joy in maths, and her generosity - and will try to keep spreading that mathematical enthusiasm in the world.
I am so sad for Vicky, for her family and friends, and for everyone who knew and was touched by her. In many ways I hardly knew her, but these small points at which she touched my life have had a profound influence. I have no doubt that there are many others in the same position, and that is a testament to the great mathematician, teacher, and most importantly person she was. I am so sad for the generations of students who will not know her and have the privilege of being taught by her. I will remember Vicky, her brilliance, her joy in maths, and her generosity - and will try to keep spreading that mathematical enthusiasm in the world.
Fryderyk Wiatrowski
I first encountered Vicky at PROMYS, and later, she became my lecturer and examiner during my undergraduate studies at Oxford. Vicky was an exceptional lecturer—always thoroughly prepared and well-organized. She was a true icon of Oxford Mathematics. Her linear algebra, group, and graph theory lectures at both Oxford and PROMYS stand as great examples of impeccable organization and profound understanding.
Daniel Gagliardi
From open days to interviews Vicky had a way to make to make the potentially terrifying always seem approachable, whether it was maths or going through the application process. Being a good teacher is rare and difficult, but she had a sixth sense for figuring out where and how you were stuck. She also motivated what we were learning, and provided fun "historical anecdotes" so we could get a sense of how the mathematics was built. She made mathematics as human as you could possibly want. She will be missed.
Manaul Hoque
I remember Vicky Neale's sessions in the 2016 UNIQ summer school, and I had the privilege of contuining to sit at her lectures in Prelims. If there was ever someone passionate about their field, it was her.
I, like many others apparently, have always remembered to obtain a "group-y feeling" when thinking about groups, as strongly as I get a "triangle-y feeling" when I think about triangles.
Such off-handed remarks resonated with many of us because through them, I believe, we learned from Vicky Neale the value of mathematical understanding and intuition. Everyone could learn, just by Vicky Neale's example, to value mathematics.
I, like many others apparently, have always remembered to obtain a "group-y feeling" when thinking about groups, as strongly as I get a "triangle-y feeling" when I think about triangles.
Such off-handed remarks resonated with many of us because through them, I believe, we learned from Vicky Neale the value of mathematical understanding and intuition. Everyone could learn, just by Vicky Neale's example, to value mathematics.
Katie Zhang
Vicky's endless enthusiasm and unparalleled ability to translate new Maths content into intuition and a sense of adventure has inspired me since a UNIQ summer school before I came to Oxford and during the Analysis 1 course in Prelims, and has stayed with me since. I'm incredibly grateful to her and will miss her very much.
Jesse Pajwani
Vicky was a genuinely fantastic lecturer, and I still remember her group theory lectures as being incredibly clear, interesting, and filled with so much passion. She made maths approachable and entertaining. I feel very lucky to have attended her lectures, and she's a huge loss for maths
Yuhan Jiang
During my very first week here, I was collared by a second-year student who overheard us talking about our timetable, telling me that I MUST go to Vicky's lectures because they were not only great lectures but actually a lot of fun and that everyone loved her (at which point a couple of people around chimed in agreement) but, anyway, to go to Vicky's lectures or I would most definitely be missing out.
Miroslav Marinov
Typical students at PROMYS Europe:
"How are we assigned to a roommate or to a counsellor?? Do the counsellors agree amongst themselves on who to pick?"
Me: "No. It is known as Vicky Neale Magic. In fact, I am sure that if you compare counsellor choices against Vicky's, at least 95% of the time she will perform better. This is one of many talents you shall see from her, the teaching skills are only just the beginning."
"How are we assigned to a roommate or to a counsellor?? Do the counsellors agree amongst themselves on who to pick?"
Me: "No. It is known as Vicky Neale Magic. In fact, I am sure that if you compare counsellor choices against Vicky's, at least 95% of the time she will perform better. This is one of many talents you shall see from her, the teaching skills are only just the beginning."
Flora Walker
I have very fond memories, like so many others, of Vicky talking at an open day and managing not only to excite me and other young people in the audience, but to have all the parents, carers, non maths specialists in the room focused and engaged too. Also I remember vividly and fondly her lectures in first year which were the best lectures I've ever had.
Her zest for maths and for maths teaching is something that has always inspired me and will continue to do so - if I can in some way carry on even a little bit of the amazing work she was doing in terms of maths outreach and education, I'll be very proud.
A moment that stands out in my mind was when she was teaching us about groups for the very first time, and she said she wanted to help us get a 'group-y feeling' (intuition for groups as a mathematical object, like when someone says matrix, or vector space, and you have an idea of what that means in your head). I thought it was such a funny and succinct way of putting it! She really understood how we needed to get a feel for a mathematical object (and she helped me develop a group-y feeling, as I'm sure she did for many others).
Her zest for maths and for maths teaching is something that has always inspired me and will continue to do so - if I can in some way carry on even a little bit of the amazing work she was doing in terms of maths outreach and education, I'll be very proud.
A moment that stands out in my mind was when she was teaching us about groups for the very first time, and she said she wanted to help us get a 'group-y feeling' (intuition for groups as a mathematical object, like when someone says matrix, or vector space, and you have an idea of what that means in your head). I thought it was such a funny and succinct way of putting it! She really understood how we needed to get a feel for a mathematical object (and she helped me develop a group-y feeling, as I'm sure she did for many others).
Mihai Craciun
She was full of life and kind. She was the first lecturer that I had met, she was an exceptional professor and offered me a great welcome to Oxford. She remains in my heart and it's truly a great loss to everyone.
Tee Jet Whaw
Vicky was my lecturer for first-year Linear Algebra I. Her lessons were full of passion and she obviously put in huge effort in her preparation. Off the top of her head she could write down the theorem numbers and even the matrices exactly the same as those in the lecture notes!
Esteban Gomezllata Marmolejo
Vicky's style of teaching has been inspiring to me, both as a student meeting university Mathematics for the first time, and as a tutor wishing to share their love for Mathematics to others. I am glad to have had the opportunity to learn from her.
Nathan Halliday
I was enthralled by a lecture she gave solving a diophantine equation on Oxford open day, where she "cheated" using some crazy maths, got to the answer and then told us it was wrong but almost right, and could be fixed by a little more subtlety and trickery! I share this to show how much she made maths come alive, and I was certainly left eager to learn more.
Molly Roberts
I first met Vicky Neale during a UKMT Summer School in 2017. I was immediately inspired by her enthusiasm and genuine love for teaching and sharing maths with everybody. I read her book, Closing The Gap, whilst preparing to take my MAT exam to get into Oxford, excited and encouraged by the idea of being able to learn maths from someone as engaging and friendly as Vicky. In my last year at school before university, Vicky came in to do a talk. All of my friends and I enjoyed it immensely, and I even got her to sign her book, which I think we were both excited about! - both the book and the memory are something I will treasure forever. Vicky was my favourite lecturer throughout my maths degree, because she had this amazing passion for teaching and was always so full of energy and life. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and always made me excited to find out what theorem or proposition was coming next, and agree with her about how cool all of the maths was. And I always actually wanted to do her problem sheets! Having an enthusiastic, kind female lecturer at Oxford made all the difference to me. I feel so lucky to have had the privilege of being taught by her. Vicky Neale was an amazing mathematician, educator, and person, and the Oxford maths department won't be the same without her. Thank you Vicky, for being an inspiration to me and so many other young mathematicians out there. You'll be incredibly missed.
Imogen Davies
I don't think Vicky realised the effect that she had on every single pupil she taught. I was taught by Vicky in my first year, like many others. The first year of university mathematics can be pretty daunting, but Vicky's zealous approach somehow made everything feel more manageable. It honestly felt as though she believed in each one us from the start. I feel extremely lucky to have been taught by her, she will be sorely missed by all.
Claudia Cilleruelo Pascual
Any student that has had the pleasure of being taught by Vicky will tell you that her love and passion for the subject made you feel lucky to be listening. Vicky Neale, you have inspired so many more students than you know. The department will miss you, and the students will miss you more.
Dan Meakings-Clark
Vicky was one of the first lecturers I had as a fresher. It was always clearly visible how excited she was about the maths she was teaching. That enthusiasm was one of the best introductions to Oxford I could imagine, and I couldn't thank her enough for it.
Anna Fairweather
I first met Vicky during a UKMT summer school in 2017. She was an outstanding teacher who generously spread her passion for Maths, inspiring those around her. That summer school, and her encouragement, was the first step in my journey to Oxford.
I am now coming to the end of 3rd year and I can still remember her Analysis lectures in my very first term here. They were recorded in her kitchen, yet it always felt like we were in the room with her, figuring things out together. They remain some of the very best lectures I’ve ever seen.
Whilst I doubt she would have still recognised me, Dr Vicky Neale is a name I will never forget. She has inspired a generation of female Mathematicians and will be sorely missed. Oxford has truly lost one of its finest.
I am now coming to the end of 3rd year and I can still remember her Analysis lectures in my very first term here. They were recorded in her kitchen, yet it always felt like we were in the room with her, figuring things out together. They remain some of the very best lectures I’ve ever seen.
Whilst I doubt she would have still recognised me, Dr Vicky Neale is a name I will never forget. She has inspired a generation of female Mathematicians and will be sorely missed. Oxford has truly lost one of its finest.
Tobi Bretschneider
Tutorials with Vicky were something really special. Her love for the subject shone through and was infectious. You could always tell how deeply she cared about her students and their work - covering our work with red pen. She was not just an educator though but also a friend. Maths will not be the same without her.
Kateřina Panešová
Vicky taught me Analysis in year 1 and I also had the chance to volunteer alongside her at Maths Festival last year. She was a brilliant lecturer, she was (and still is) my role model as a teacher. She really radiated joyful energy and passion for maths. I am very sad that I won't see her again.
"If you are wandering down in Cornmarket and you bump into a second-hand function dealer and they try to sell you a function with only the rule part and not the domain or the codomain, please walk away! They’re a dodgy, unscrupulous function dealer and you should not trade with them." ~Vicky Neale 2020
"If you are wandering down in Cornmarket and you bump into a second-hand function dealer and they try to sell you a function with only the rule part and not the domain or the codomain, please walk away! They’re a dodgy, unscrupulous function dealer and you should not trade with them." ~Vicky Neale 2020
Toby Lam
Walking along Mesopotamia for the first time with Vicky is one of my finest memories of Oxford. Her style of teaching and presenting mathematics has been deeply influential. The interlocking patterns of "Claim: ..." and "Proof: ..." which she had introduced me to continues to scatter across my work. I would sorely miss her.
Benjamin Gardner
As a second year student at Balliol, reading maths, I was fortunate enough to be taught by Vicky. She was an exceptional tutor, who frequently went above and beyond to help us succeed. She also organised ‘Vicky walks’ where I got to know her personally too. Our shared love of music and maths went some way to brightening my Thursdays. Balliol won’t feel the same without Vicky, she’ll be sorely missed.
Sej Patel
I met Vicky at the UKMT Oxford Summer Camp in 2018 where she gave an evening talk. She was so lovely and enthusiastic for maths and left a major impression on me as a female mathematician. She’s always been one of my biggest inspirations and has undoubtedly left a hole in the lives of many
Colin Beveridge
I thought Vicky absolutely personified what a mathematician ought to be. Smart and insightful, generous, witty, the works. Brilliant writer, too. What an awful loss.
Matt Almond
I met Vicky when I was a teenager at a UKMT summer school and a handful of other times in Cambridge. Her love of maths was immediately obvious, and she was the first person I met who chose their career, it seemed, solely because of their love for maths. She was incredibly kind, a fantastic teacher and communicator, and I'll remember her as one of the best examples of what it means to be a mathematician.