Annual Report 24-25

Mathematics educator Alison Marzocchi spent four months in Brazil earlier this year as a Fulbright Scholar to continue her research on improving faculty instruction through equity-minded and active mathematics teaching practices.

Marzocchi was hosted by the Mathematics Department at Universidade de São Paulo and connected with archaeology, botany, economics and statistics faculty to also learn from their experiences. 

“The Brazilian scholars I met are also seeking solutions on how to best support students in their pursuit of higher education,” said Marzocchi, who holds a doctorate in mathematics education.

Marzocchi shared that access to higher education in Brazil has recently expanded, yet the country faces similar issues as the U.S. regarding graduating university students.

“In both countries, there is much room for improvement in degree completion rates among students from population groups that have historically been excluded from higher education,” she said. 

“We need to work toward a point where a student’s demographic characteristic, such as parent income, race, ethnicity or gender, does not predict their likelihood to complete a degree. Every student should be given a fair chance to set a goal and earn a degree.”

Marzocchi’s “META: Mathematics Equity through Teaching Actively” research project addresses longstanding issues of opportunity gaps in mathematics. META is funded by a nearly $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, co-led by CSUF mathematics colleagues Kristin Kurianski, Roberto Soto and Amelia Stone-Johnstone. 

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