Paulo Costa Trio Entrevista -Felipe Martins
Paulo Costa Trio Entrevista
Paulo Costa Trio presents a new series of interviews with Brazilians, Latinos, and people connected with the Brazilian culture who live in Cleveland, Ohio. Our mission is to build a stronger community among Brazilians living in the city, telling their histories, promoting their work, and helping new members to feel welcome in Cleveland. We will post one new interview every week! Every guest will have an opportunity to sing a song with us. We hope you all enjoy it. - Paulo Costa, Felipe Brito, Davi Lira
Interview with Felipe Martins
May 31, 2017 | Cleveland, Ohio
Executive Director and Producer: Felipe Brito
Story by Felipe Brito, Paulo Costa, and Davi Lira
Luiz Felipe Martins holds a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Brown University and has worked as a researcher and educator for more than 20 years. His research is mainly in the field of applied probability. He has been involved in developing code for the open-source homework system, WeBWorK, where he wrote a library to visualize systems of differential equations. An NSF grant for this project supported him. Currently, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, where he has developed several applied mathematics and scientific computing courses. His current duties include coordinating all first-year calculus sessions.
Tell us about your story; why did you move to Cleveland?
I lived in Porto Alegre, where I did my bachelor’s and masters’ degrees in mathematics. I moved to the United States to study at Brown University in Rhode Island. After that, I moved to Cleveland for my wife’s job as a professor at Cleveland State University (CSU). During my first three years, I worked several jobs before I was hired to teach at CSU. My wife threatened them that she would leave her job, so they gave me a job too (laughs). Cleveland State University hired me in 1994.
So, you and your wife work together at Cleveland State University? How is that like?
Yes, she is my coworker, she has been there three years longer than me. She is my boss. (laughs)
The main reason you and your wife moved to the United States States was because of your studies?
Exactly, we both came for grad school. When we arrived, I started my Ph.D. immediately, and Ieda, my wife, started her masters’ degree a year after me.
Did you speak English before you moved here?
No! (laughs) I studied 9 years of English private courses in Brazil, but I didn’t understand anything (laughs).
How was your adaptation to the new country?
We missed Brazil initially, but soon, we met a Brazilian group, which made the adaptation less difficult.
Did you and your wife ever dreamed about living and working in the United States?
No, the initial plan was to finish our grad school work and come back to Brazil. However, we had two daughters born here, and we would have to start everything from the beginning if we moved back to Brazil. We have been working here for a long time, so we don’t have plans to move back to Brazil.
How long until you both can retire?
Based on everything that is happening today, we will not retire (laughs). The first opportunity to retire is in seven or eight years, but it would not be full retirement benefits. My work is based on teaching and writing, which I like very much to do, so I’m not feeling very tired from work.
What do you like about Cleveland?
It is very relaxed, we live in a calm neighborhood, without any stress with our children. Cleveland is a culturally rich city with a great symphony orchestra, museums, theaters, and a strong Brazilian community. The Brazilian community had grown a lot in the last few years compared to when we arrived. Our American neighbors are really nice, and they didn’t vote for the current president, for example (laughs). Cleveland also has several places where you can explore nature, like Metroparks and national parks.
I know that you love to cook. What’s your favorite dish that you like to make?
I make something that is called “moqueca.” When I arrived in the United States, I didn’t know how to cook really well, so I started looking for tips in the newspapers. I found a recipe in the Boston journal called “Brazilian stew.” This recipe was very complicated with something around fifty ingredients. But through time, I noticed that the dish was a version of “Moqueca from Espirito Santo.” I started to simplify the recipe and do it by memory. That’s why this is a dish that I like to make because it’s something easy that impresses people. In reality, what I like the most is to try new dishes. Every week I learn a new recipe. Nowadays, it’s easy to have access to recipes, which motivates me to continue this tradition.
Could you talk about the new book that you are writing?
Of course, I actually signed the contract yesterday and finished writing the first chapter today (laughs). The book is about a computer scientific system called SciPy, which is basically an enormous database library for computer science.
Do you know when your book will be published?
The contract says that the book will be launched in October of this year, but it will depend on my work. Actually, I don’t even know why I’m wasting my time giving this interview (laughs); I should be writing my book!
Well, we will let you get back to writing; thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Thank you for the opportunity to talk a little bit about my life, even though I’m not sure if it interests many people (laughs). I want to say thank you indeed for everything that you are doing for the Brazilian community in Cleveland. You, Moises Borges, Laura Branco, Batuqui Cleveland, you are all a breath of life to our lives.
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Paulo Costa Trio
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