Malasia McClendon

Program Coordinator, Dudley Flood Center

Malasia is the Program Coordinator at the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity. As the Program Coordinator, she provides overall support and organization for the Flood center, manages and coordinates communications, and drafts and disseminates information about the Flood Center’s programmatic and research efforts. Additionally, she supports the programmatic work of the center such as the Student Voices Webinar Series, Rural Teacher Leader Network, Color of Education Summit, and other programmatic efforts as needed. Prior to joining the Public School Forum, Malasia was a Fellow at the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation where she made funding recommendations in accordance with the Foundation’s grantmaking strategies, organizational values, and priority areas. Additionally, she managed the recruitment and selection processes for the Non-Profit Internship Program and the Fellowship Program. 

Malasia is a native of North Carolina and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina State University.  During her undergraduate experience, she participated in the North Carolina General Assembly Internship Program, supported research as a Research Assistant at the T.E.A.C.H. National Center, and interned with the James B. Hunt Institute. On campus, Malasia created safe spaces for students of color and those disproportionately affected by systemic inequities by reactivating the campus chapter of the NAACP. Additionally, Malasia participated and led service trips internationally to teach English. Malasia has a heart for education. She aspires to experience a world where education policy is informed by quality research and accounts for historical inequities faced by students and communities.