Sofia Malik

Dr. Sofia Malik, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin, and Co-Director of the Education Policy and Planning program.

Before joining the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Malik served as a faculty member in the Educational Leadership and Policy Department at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Dr. Malik served as Chief Research Officer for one of Canada's largest school boards, leading research and evaluation initiatives across a diverse district serving over 155,000 students. She brings a wealth of experience from her work at the Ontario Ministry of Education, where she contributed to the development of education policies, research to practice partnerships, and spearheaded large-scale, system-wide research and knowledge mobilization projects. Her approach to teaching, research, and policy is deeply informed by her experience as a former public school teacher.

Her expertise includes leading program evaluations and facilitating the mobilization of knowledge to influence policy and practice. As Program Chair of the Research Use Special Interest Group within the American Educational Research Association, Dr. Malik is committed to leveraging research to drive meaningful educational reforms.

Dedicated to advancing educational practices across various contexts, Dr. Malik frequently presents at national and international conferences and publishes work aimed at academics, policymakers, and practitioners alike. Her work consistently aims to improve education policy and practice, with a particular focus on addressing the needs of both urban and rural school districts.