Sofia Torres is a Research Analyst and telecommuter from Richmond, VA. Sofia is interested in a range of policy areas including racial equity in family and child welfare, transitional age youth, and anti-poverty work. At MEF, Sofia works on projects related to the TANF program, fatherhood, and early childhood education.
Prior to joining MEF, Sofia worked in community-based child welfare services. Sofia worked to provide counseling, case management, service coordination, and program intake for youth in treatment foster care and youth returning from out-of-home placements. In graduate school, Sofia conducted mixed-methods research for the Vanderbilt Stress and Coping Lab where she examined coping strategies, stress responses, and coregulation in caregiver-child dyads.
Sofia earned a Master of Education in Child Studies from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminology from Florida State University. Outside of work, Sofia enjoys taking her dog on hikes, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends.