Ravi Rajan

Rajan studied music education as an undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma, and earned a master's degree in music at Yale University.[1][2]

Rajan was previously Dean of the School of the Arts, and before that Director of Art+Design and Associate Dean of the Arts at Purchase College. As Director, he helped guide the Art+Design faculty through a restructuring of credits for all degree programs. These changes created more free elective choices for students. He also led faculty through a complete revision of the foundation year art studies to include time-based, performance-based, and digitally-enabled coursework in all offerings, as well as initiated a 1-to-1 laptop initiative. As Dean, he successfully restructured the administrative staff and leadership of five separate divisions at Purchase into one School of the Arts. He also established a new Masters of Arts degree in Entrepreneurship in the Arts, the first graduate degree of its kind.[3]

As a trumpet player, Rajan has performed in various musical ensembles in large orchestral, big band, and chamber settings, as well as for theatre on and off Broadway. He was a member of the Tony Awards Nominating Committee.[4][5]

As a producer and designer of large-scale projects and installations, he has worked in major museums, biennials, theaters, festivals, galleries, and venues around the world, for artists including Alfredo Jaar, Stephen Petronio, and Laura Poitras.

In 2010 Rajan was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

As the fourth president of CalArts, Rajan replaced Steven Lavine, who served as president for 29 years.[6]