Sofia Malik

Dr. Sofia Malik is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin, where she serves as co-coordinator of the Education Policy and Planning program. With experience spanning classroom teaching, district leadership, and government policy development, she brings a comprehensive perspective to educational research and practice.

As Chief Research Officer for one of North America's largest school boards, Dr. Malik led research and evaluation initiatives in a district serving over 155,000 students. Her tenure at the Ontario Ministry of Education included shaping education policies and establishing research-practice partnerships fostering system-wide networks and evidence use improving student achievement outcomes. Previously, she held a faculty position in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Dr. Malik's serves as program chair for the Research Use Special Interest Group within the American Educational Research Association and Plenary Session Representative (PSR) for the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), among other service commitments at UT Austin. Her scholarship focuses on program evaluation, knowledge mobilization, and evidence-informed decision-making in both urban and rural contexts. Drawing from her background as a public school teacher, she bridges academic research with practical applications, regularly engaging with scholarly and practitioner audiences through publications and presentations at national and international forums.