Play, empathy, and sharing the magic of maths
#CelebratingEngagement
with Vanessa Madu
“I just think the world needs a bit of re-enchanting in terms of how magical science is.”
A jar of marbles is an unusual place to discover your passion. But then, Vanessa Madu’s introduction to the world of maths and science was unconventional, as is the way she talks about it - whimsical and fun, yet deeply thorough and grounded in truth. Vanessa won the Student Award at the 2024 President’s Awards for Excellence in Societal Engagement for an extensive portfolio of engagement work. We discussed sharing the magic of mathematics, the role of creativity and fun in STEM engagement, and how empathy can be a researcher’s greatest virtue.
Vanessa’s journey into the world of STEM began at one of Imperial’s Insights Summer School programmes when she was in Year 10. Vanessa was studying Chemistry on the recommendation of a Physics teacher who noticed her growing passion in science, despite there being limited support available in the school. “I went to a state comprehensive, nothing glamourous. There were some subjects I had to self-teach because the resources weren’t there, so I would get bored and wouldn’t pay attention,” Vanessa said. As a self-described “nerdy kid”, she was excited to find herself in an environment where she could discuss scientific principles and be around others who shared her enthusiasm.
“I just think the world needs a bit of re-enchanting in terms of how magical science is.”
A jar of marbles is an unusual place to discover your passion. But then, Vanessa Madu’s introduction to the world of maths and science was unconventional, as is the way she talks about it - whimsical and fun, yet deeply thorough and grounded in truth. Vanessa won the Student Award at the 2024 President’s Awards for Excellence in Societal Engagement for an extensive portfolio of engagement work. We discussed sharing the magic of mathematics, the role of creativity and fun in STEM engagement, and how empathy can be a researcher’s greatest virtue.
Vanessa’s journey into the world of STEM began at one of Imperial’s Insights Summer School programmes when she was in Year 10. Vanessa was studying Chemistry on the recommendation of a Physics teacher who noticed her growing passion in science, despite there being limited support available in the school. “I went to a state comprehensive, nothing glamourous. There were some subjects I had to self-teach because the resources weren’t there, so I would get bored and wouldn’t pay attention,” Vanessa said. As a self-described “nerdy kid”, she was excited to find herself in an environment where she could discuss scientific principles and be around others who shared her enthusiasm.
At this point, Vanessa had a negative perception of maths, until a game at a fun-fair sparked her passion. The game was guessing the number of marbles in a jar, with the winner taking the jar home. “With just a piece of paper, and a little bit of estimating and calculation, and a huge amount of luck, I walked away with 432 marbles” she says proudly, “I have the number written down somewhere because I tell the story quite often.”
“It was just magical to me that I could use maths to calculate something that would have taken ages otherwise. And that is basically what I do now, but instead of modelling the number of marbles in a jar I do it for bigger and more complex things.” After completing her Mathematics undergraduate degree at Imperial, Vanessa began her PhD, and along the way realised that she loves talking about maths just as much as she loves studying it.
“My job is great because I basically get to play all day. It’s only natural that I like to talk to people about maths …because I really like maths.”
This sense of “play” is central to her philosophy on communicating maths. “If people associated maths with play concepts, where they can retreat to a world in their mind and build things, then they would be less scared of it.” Coming up against what she calls “mathematical trauma” and the problematic ways maths is taught to young people in the UK, she's had to be creative. “You essentially have to trick people into learning maths. You’ll surprise them and say ‘that was this or that mathematical concept’, and they’re like ‘what? I actually enjoyed that!’”
Vanessa has deployed her mathematics-by-stealth model in many activities, including with families at White City, creating Science Short explainer videos for Instagram, supporting the STEM Futures programme, and going back to where it all began by delivering Maths Summer School sessions.
The 2024 award isn't Vanessa’s first recognition. In 2020 she won the Student Award for her work encouraging young women to pursue STEM at Hackathon events. Vanessa has always worked to challenge assumptions – whether it’s that maths is boring, or STEM careers are just for boys, tackling the idea that only certain people can be a scientist. As well as being a mixed Black woman, Vanessa is autistic and takes pride in being transparent about her experiences and identity.
“I can help provide a bit of escapism, but also a bit of hope.”
As someone who had a late diagnosis, and who understands the range of attitudes towards neurodiversity, her openness and empathy support her message that it’s possible to succeed in STEM as a perceived ‘outsider’.
Empathy is a word that came up a lot in our conversation, and it’s clear that it sits alongside play at the centre of Vanessa's engagement philosophy. “It’s something that should be much more emphasised in both science and its communication. When you’re communicating or doing public engagement, you are relating to other people, and part of that relation process is empathy and being able to have genuine conversation with people rather than speaking from the script.”
For Vanessa, empathy is another way to connect with people through an understanding of their unique circumstances. Though personal and emotional, it serves a logical and practical purpose in science engagement. “Treat each individual you speak to as an individual”, she summarises. Since winning the award, Vanessa has continued to progress her playful engagement activities. She won Famelab’s South East regional competition with her poem, Queen of Hearts, progressing as a UK National finalist. She also introduced fluid dynamics to Year 12 students in the Southern Trust Summer School programme.
In a society still impacted by outdated stereotypes on what a mathematician ‘should’ look like, Vanessa is redefining the narrative. At the heart of her work lies a genuine and boundless passion for mathematics – and an exceptional talent to match.
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