Kim Tran.
Nancy was one of the few professors that could teach every math course offered at Mesa College.
Nancy Bray, who worked as a math professor for several years at San Diego Mesa College, died in early August from a heart attack. She was 75 years old.
Nancy graduated from Occidental College and started as a high school teacher. She earned a Master of Science degree in mathematics from San Diego State University. At that time, Nancy also met her soon to be husband, Henry Bray, who was a mathematics professor at San Diego State University.
She was first hired as an adjunct professor at San Diego Mesa College in 1974. She obtained a full-time position in 1984. While at Mesa College, she served as the math department chair, Academic Senate Treasurer as well as the campus’ evaluation coordinator.
Nancy was one of the first faculty to present on graphing calculators when they first came out, often training students and faculty on how to use them. During the early 1990s, Nancy also served as the lead organizer and host of important events such as the Greater San Diego Math Field Day and the California Consortium on the Teaching of Calculus.
Before coming to Mesa College, Nancy had spent some time teaching at Gallaudet, a private university that specializes in the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. Thanks to this experience, Nancy became proficient in American Sign Language which later enabled her to work with DSPS and the deaf population at Mesa College.
Nancy was highly respected as a math professor by both her students and her colleagues. She was one of the few professors that could teach every math course offered at Mesa College. She was especially enthusiastic about teaching higher level math courses such as calculus and linear algebra. “Students loved her because she was clear and straightforward, and they were successful in her classes,” said Professor Ronald Sandvick, who got hired as a math instructor when Nancy was on the interviewing committee and later worked closely with her in other on campus committees.
According to Sandvick and many other colleagues, teaching was Nancy’s passion. Although she had been struggling with health issues for some time, she refused to retire and instead took up a reduced workload. “She was scheduled to teach this semester. She couldn’t leave her students,” said Professor and former math chair department, Terri Teegarden.
During her spare time, Nancy enjoyed snorkeling, reading, doing word puzzles and vacationing at Hawaii. She also loved animals and made frequent visits to the zoo with her husband. In the late 1990s, mathematics professor Ngoc (Kim) Tran started to travel to Alaska during the summer, and would take photos of the landscapes and wildlife. “When I came back I would share my photos with Nancy. She enjoyed seeing pictures of eagles and grizzly bears,” he said.
Nancy Bray was also on the hiring committee when Kim Tran was interviewed to teach at Mesa College in 1989. Tran would often ask Nancy for advice on books and resources to use when teaching. He commented that, “Nancy loved teaching mathematics. This is a common trait of good teachers. She knew mathematics, and her knowledge just naturally flowed out of her. ”
Similarly, Professor Tom Teegarden, who was on the hiring committee when Nancy first sought work at Mesa College said, “She was first hired for her computer expertise, but she brought so much more.”
Nancy Bray was an excellent addition to Mesa College. She will always be a great example for incoming and aspiring professors. Her passion and enthusiasm for learning mathematics and teaching students as well as her dedication and commitment to making Mesa College a better institution of higher education will be greatly missed.