Whether it be a brain teaser or a casual conversation, anyone who talks to Jonathan Gregg ’11, lecturer of mathematics, will see the quirkier side of the subject.
“I always try to mix in something to get students thinking outside the box,” Gregg said. “I think it’s healthy for fostering an appreciation of some of the finer sides of mathematics. When you get so focused on ‘solving for x,’ it really just hinders your love for a beautiful discipline.”
Gregg returns to his alma mater hoping to develop his appreciation within the Hillsdale community. Gregg said he tries to engage even the most uninterested math students. To facilitate the learning process, he encourages group exercises among his classes.
“I’ve seen what a close-knit group of people is able to accomplish, and team-like environment fosters a spirit of conversation and community within the classroom,” Gregg said.
Formerly a high school math teacher at Glendale Preparatory Academy, Gregg has seen the challenges of imparting knowledge upon his students. Although he realizes not everyone shares his love for math, he said he hopes his availability will inspire his students to seek him out and ask him questions.
As an English and Math double major, Gregg knows how to reach not only students interested in the hard sciences but also students more inclined toward the humanities.
“Professor Gregg has the amazing ability to turn non-math people into people who really love the beauty of math,” his wife, Casey, ‘11 said.
After graduating as Hillsdale’s class president, Gregg attended the University of Chicago, where he completed their one-year Masters of Arts program in the humanities. His thesis paper focused on education.
Both Gregg and his wife said they are happy to be back in the Hillsdale community. Professors who once taught him are now his peers and colleagues.
Though the community has received him warmly as one of their own, Gregg said he sometimes feels subordinate to his colleagues.
“It’s really hard calling them by their first names. I don’t think I’ll ever call Dr. Jackson ‘Justin,’ or anything like that,” he said.
Gregg said he hopes his methods of teaching math will help students look at the world in new ways.
“Math is actually a very good way to combat relativistic ideas. Hopefully, I can get students to see that the way of argumentation in mathematics is actually applicable to the way that we ought to view anything,” Gregg said. “If we’re going to battle relativism, we have to think about which things we first accept as absolutely fundamental.”