Dr. Malala is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Educational Psychology department at Texas A&M University. Her research interests center on federal law related to significant racial disproportionality, with a particular focus on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. § 1418(d), and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. §§ 300.646–300.647. Her work specifically examines the application of these provisions for Black students, who experience well-documented and persistent disproportionality in special education identification, educational placement, and school discipline. She is interested in how states and local education agencies determine significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity, as required by federal law, and explores the equity implications of compliance, corrective action, and policy implementation for Black students.


Prior to joining the educational psychology faculty at Texas A&M, Dr. Malala had a decade of K-12 experience as a special education teacher, instructional coach, and district support specialist.