Dr. Malachi Nichols Named a 2022 Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 Honoree

We are proud to announce Dr. Malachi Nichols, director of data and strategy, was named a 2022 Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 honoree.

“We congratulate Malachi on this prestigious honor,” said Ben Kutylo, executive director of Forward Arkansas. “Since joining Forward, Malachi has provided leadership and expertise that have proven invaluable in helping us understand where and how the state’s educational system can be improved. The relevant data-driven insights he provides allows us to better understand the schools and communities whose challenges we hope to solve.”

As director of data and strategy, Malachi has been instrumental in launching two key programs, our Educator Preparation Program Design Collaborative and the Data and Policy Symposiums.

Before joining Forward, Malachi worked at Prism North America, where he served as a teacher of robotics, probability and statistics, and an AmeriCorps Service Member.

Malachi holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy, a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in African and African-American Studies from the University of Arkansas. He has been published in various academic journals, including Politics and Policy, PLoS ONE and the Journal of School Choice. Malachi’s program evaluations include a university-level need-based grant program, a university level peer-mentoring program, and pull-out services for students with academic disabilities in K-12.

Malachi serves on the Family Advisory Board for Arkansas Children’s Northwest Hospital.

Along with the full class of honorees, Malachi will be honored at a luncheon on June 8 at the DoubleTree hotel in downtown Little Rock.