Adrien Malek

Adrien Malek-Lasater, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Education at the University of North Florida and Director of Research and Professional Development for the UNF Preschool. Dr. Malek-Lasater has spent approximately ten years working with young children and families as an early childhood education teacher and an early intervention child development specialist. She advocates for constructivist teaching approaches and supports children's learning through inquiry and experience. Before her years in education and family services, she worked as a Registered Dietitian in the clinical setting. Dr. Malek-Lasater has a strong interdisciplinary background in both practice and research. Her research interests focus on improving learning environments for teachers and children, specifically fostering positive teacher and child well-being and improving mealtimes in early care and education settings.