Hispanic Heritage Month Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Marta Civil

The College of Science is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by featuring some of the College’s outstanding faculty with Hispanic roots. Our next featured faculty member is Dr. Marta Civil, a Professor of Mathematics.

The College of Science spoke with Dr. Civil to learn more about her journey to the University of Arizona, growing up in Barcelona, and some of her favorite traditions.

You can learn more about Dr. Civil and her work here.

Dr. Marta Civil

Professor, Mathematics
Associate Head, Entry-Level Instruction
Chair, Roy F Graesser
Coordinator, Outreach Activities
Distinguished Professor, University-Outreach
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Professor, Teaching/Learning and Sociocultural Studies

College of Science: Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your journey to the University of Arizona. 

Civil: I grew up in Barcelona, Spain and did my undergraduate studies in mathematics at the University of Barcelona. Growing up, my family hosted high school students from the U.S. who spent a year studying in Barcelona. So, I had an extended family of “American sisters” and I think that contributed to my interest in exploring graduate school in the U.S. I was teaching mathematics at a high school in Barcelona and also trying to pursue my interests in mathematical logic when I saw an opportunity to apply for a one-year program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). It was there that I learned about mathematics education, which to me was a new field. That is, I knew about getting a degree in mathematics and becoming a teacher. I had done that, but I did not know about mathematics education research. I fell in love with the whole idea of working with preservice elementary teachers and learning with and from them about their thinking and beliefs about mathematics. Long story short, the one year led to many more years at UIUC where I ended up with a Ph.D. in mathematics education. I then applied to several tenure track positions, and I chose the University of Arizona, in part for their hands-on, active learning approach to the mathematics content courses for preservice elementary teachers.

Once here, I was fortunate to meet a group of researchers from the College of Education and Anthropology and local teachers who were doing very interesting work in schools with large numbers of Mexican American students. Getting involved in the Funds of Knowledge for Teaching project is probably the most influential event in my research career. This led me to explore connections between in-school and out-of-school mathematics and a few years later to what is now my signature work, parental engagement in mathematics. The fact that I had colleagues in the department of mathematics and in other units across the university with an interest in outreach was also instrumental to my career.

COS: When looking back on your childhood and spending time with family, are there any favorite traditions or memories that stick out to you?

Civil: What stands out more for me are the family gatherings, always around food, of course! My family on my mother’s side was quite large. There were 20 cousins and several uncles and aunts. We would all gather at least once a year, in connection to my grandmother’s birthday in May. Over the years we have tried to keep up this tradition of having the cousins meet even if it is in smaller groups. Another family tradition was related to my father’s birthday, which was on Christmas day. That day quite a few family members would come to our house for the main meal around 2pm. My two grandmothers were there, uncles and aunts, some cousins, and of course my sisters and parents. The menu was pretty much the same every year, typical dishes combining Madrid cuisine (as my father was from there) and Catalan cuisine (since we lived in Barcelona).

Another key holiday growing up was January 6, “día de Reyes” (three Kings Day) as this is when traditionally children would get gifts. The night before there was a big parade in town marking the arrival of the three Kings. I remember one year going to the harbor in Barcelona to see them arrive. On January 6, we would eat a “roscón de reyes” (a round sweat bread, shaped like a big ring with dried, colorful fruit on top). The “roscón” had a figurine inside (one of the three Kings) and a fava bean. If your piece had the king, you were crowned king with the paper crown that came with the “roscón.” If you got the fava bean, you were supposed to pay for the “roscón” (not that I ever saw this being implemented). To this day, I keep the tradition of “roscón de reyes.” If I am in Tucson for that day, I go to a local Mexican bakery and buy a “rosca / roscón.” Yet another tradition that I still keep to this day is the 12 grapes to celebrate the new year. I don’t think I have ever missed this tradition no matter where I may be that day! As the clock strikes twelve times at midnight on December 31, with each stroke we eat one grape. These are considered the “uvas de la suerte” (grapes of luck) for the new year. Growing up my parents would celebrate New Year’s Eve with two other families with children my age. So, it was something that I eagerly anticipated. Throughout the summer months, I also remember other traditions such as the bonfire on Saint John’s eve (June 23) as well as the fireworks. This day usually marked the beginning of the summer vacation for all students. Finally, another memory that sticks out for me was playing cards and board games with my mother, my sisters, cousins, and friends.

COS: Who are some of the people who have made the greatest impact on your life?

Civil: I would have to say that my parents made the greatest impact on my life with their very strong work ethic and their zest for learning. I also remember one of my maternal grandmother’s sayings “there is no better lottery than working” also stressing the importance of work. I had wonderful mentors during my graduate school years and at UArizona, particularly during my years as Assistant Professor. Their mentorship opened many doors to me. But probably the people who have made the greatest impact on my professional life have been the students, teachers, and families I have worked with over the years. I want to highlight the Mexican-American mothers with whom I have had the honor to work. I feel an immediate connection to them not only because of the shared home language and many other shared cultural elements, but also because their work ethic, zest for learning, and desire to do their best for their children remind me of what I saw in my parents and family members growing up.

COS: What was it that drew you to your area of research and expertise?

Civil: As a graduate student at UIUC I taught the content courses for preservice elementary teachers. Through that experience I met very capable mathematical thinkers who did not think they could do mathematics because their methods of problem solving did not always match the ones “expected” by schools. Yet their methods made much more sense and showed a deeper understanding of the concepts. This brought me to study the often-unfortunate split between in-school and out-of- school mathematics. This area of research connected very well with the Funds of Knowledge for Teaching Project and it led me to explore questions such as “how do people use mathematics in their everyday life and occupations (uncovering their funds of knowledge)?” And “how can we build on their funds of knowledge for school teaching?” From there, I became particularly interested in learning with and from the mothers who participate in the many projects I have led. I just love hearing about their experiences as learners and users of mathematics, as well as their experiences supporting their children’s mathematics education. Also, since much of work takes place in bilingual (English / Spanish) communities I became very interested in the role of language(s) in the learning and teaching of mathematics. Thus, in general terms, my research focuses on the study of language and cultural diversity as assets for mathematics education.

COS: What is your favorite part of being a scientist?

Civil: I think that one of the favorite parts of my work is the opportunity to learn about and from the students’ ways of thinking in mathematics. I just find it very refreshing to hear them talk about their approaches to a mathematics task. Seeing preservice elementary teachers making sense of problems, often in ways that I had not considered, is extremely rewarding. When working with bilingual children, I love it how they use both languages and other communication resources (such as gestures) to share their thinking on a problem. In my work with mothers as adult learners, I enjoy their sense of humor and how they support each other as they tackle the problems. And finally, another highlight for me is working with graduate students and postdocs. I have been very fortunate to collaborate with an amazing group of graduate students and postdocs over the years. For me the biggest gift is when I hear some of them saying that what they learned from me is the importance of building rapport, developing “confianza” (mutual trust), and being humble when learning with and from the community / parents. I close with a quote from Maria, a Mexican-American mother who was reflecting on what it was like to work with me in one of the projects. Her quote captures what I hope others see in my work with teachers, students, and parents. She said, “She would never try to make us feel that she knew and we didn’t; she was always there working with us so we never felt her having an advantage, knowing more than us. She was with us.”