Sofia Malik

Dr. Sofia Malik is an Assistant Professor of Practice and co-coordinator of the Educational Policy and Planning program in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin. She prepares current and future educational leaders, policymakers, and researchers to use evidence-based approaches that improve student outcomes and strengthen institutional accountability. Dr. Malik's scholarship focuses on program evaluation, research use in policy and practice, and performance accountability systems in education. Her work examines how educational organizations translate research into actionable strategies that drive improvement.

Her career spans classroom teaching, district research leadership, and senior government policy roles. As Chief Research Officer at one of North America's largest school districts serving 155,000 students, she led research and accountability initiatives that supported evidence-informed decision making across the system. In government, she managed large-scale education initiatives and developed research-practice partnerships that strengthened system-wide performance.

Dr. Malik's service to the community includes contributions to the college, state and national organizations. She serves as Plenum Representative for the University Council for Educational Administration, Chair of the Research Use Special Interest Group for the American Educational Research Association, as a board member with the Texas Evaluation Network and as a member of the University of Texas at Austin High School District (UTHSD) Advisory Board.

Dr. Malik earned her PhD from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. She is a recipient of the University of Toronto's Arbor Award, the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement Early Career Fellowship, and OISE's Leaders & Legends Mentor of the Year Award.