Maria Zavala

Maria is the daughter of Peruvian immigrants, who moved all over the United States and finally settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. Though originally fascinated with dinosaur bones and paleontology, Maria ultimately studied mathematics at the University of California Santa Cruz, where she also played water polo. Maria taught in a variety of settings in K-12 in the years before and while she completed her PhD in Education at the University of Washington Seattle, with an emphasis on the Learning Sciences and Mathematics Education. She joined the faculty at SF State in Fall 2012. At SF State, she teaches courses related to teaching mathematics, learning theories, and bilingual education. Her research focuses on culturally responsive and sustaining mathematics pedagogies, mathematics identities of traditionally marginalized youth, and teaching mathematics for social justice.