Sofia Malik

Dr. Sofia Malik is an Assistant Professor of Practice and co-coordinator of the Education 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. She is a recipient of the University of Toronto's Arbor Award and an International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement Early Career Fellowship.
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 at the college level and representation on national organizations. She serves as Plenum Representative for the University Council for Educational Administration, Program Chair for the Research Use Special Interest Group within the American Educational Research Association, and on the board of the Texas Evaluation Network.