Olivia Raynor PhD

Olivia Raynor, Ph.D., is the Director of the Tarjan Center, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the Semel Institute, UCLA. Her career spans over 35 years of experience in management, analysis, evaluation, training and public policy at the individual and system levels that support individuals with disabilities participation in inclusive postsecondary education, integrated competitive employment, the arts, and civic engagement . Dr. Raynor is the Principal Investigator and Director of CECY, California’s Project of National Significance Partnerships in Employment Systems Change project. She also established and provides leadership to the CA Higher Education Consortium for People with IDD. Under contract with the CA Community College Chancellor’s Office, Dr. Raynor is the developmental disability consultant to the community college system. Dr. Raynor chaired the UCLA Committee that lead to the establishment in 2006 of Pathway at UCLA Extension, a ground breaking 2-year postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities. Dr. Raynor is the Immediate Past President and serves on the Board of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). She is a Governor appointed member of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Raynor holds degrees from Boston University and USC in Occupational Therapy and a doctorate from UCLA in Educational Psychology.