Rajan, Rekha S.
Rekha S. Rajan, Ed.D. is visiting associate professor of research and program leader for the master’s in grant writing, management, and evaluation in the division of research and doctoral programs at Concordia University Chicago. She is an arts education specialist and holds a master's in early childhood professions from Roosevelt University Chicago, a master's in music education, and a doctorate in music and music education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has published her research on children’s participation in musical theater, and teachers’ use of the arts in numerous peer-reviewed journals and has presented her work at national and international conferences. She is the author of the books Integrating the Performing Arts in Grades K-5 (Corwin, 2012), Grant Writing: Practical Strategies for Scholars and Professionals (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015), and the forthcoming Children’s Experiences in Musical Theater (Rowman & Littlefield Education).
Dr. Rajan is the recipient of a two-year research grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to examine the relationship between live performing arts attendance and the cognitive function of older adults which was highlighted in an interview with NEA Chairman Chu on WBEZ Chicago. Her research has also been featured in Education Week and with the National Head Start Association. She is president of the Greater Chicago Area chapter, and sits on the board of directors, for the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association. She is also Co-Program Chair for the Teaching of Evaluation Topical Interest Group for the American Evaluation Association and is on the advisory committee for the Music Educators Journal. Dr. Rajan sits on various appointed councils for the arts and education, including the Core Arts Standards Committee with Arts Alliance Illinois and the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Advisory Committee for the Department of Education in the State of Illinois.
Dr. Rajan has co-authored over 30 program evaluation reports with projects including the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, the D.C. Arts & Humanities Collaborative, Diller-Quaile School of Music, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Education Leadership Institute with the National Endowment for the Arts, and ArtsConnection. Prior to her work in higher education, Dr. Rajan was a professional musical theater and operatic performer, with favorite roles including Papagena in THE MAGIC FLUTE, Mabel in the PIRATES OF PENZANCE and Lili in CARNIVAL!, for which she was nominated for a Chicago Stage Talk Equity Theatre Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical.
Rekha S. Rajan, EdD is an arts education specialist with a focus on early childhood education and assessment. She holds a doctorate in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she also received an EdM in music education. She also holds an MA in early childhood professions from Roosevelt University.
Dr. Rajan is a senior research associate with the Center for Arts Education Research at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she is part of ArtsResearch, a team of consultants who evaluate arts-based partnerships around the United States. Through these partnerships, she has interviewed and observed hundreds of public school teachers regarding the strengths and challenges they face with integrating the arts.
Her research interests focus on the impact of the performing arts in the lives of young children and on teachers’ use of the performing arts in the classroom. She has published articles in General Music Today, Focus on Pre-K&K and Focus on Elementary of the Association of Childhood Education International, and is also the author of the forthcoming book, Children’s Experiences in Musical Theater (Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2013).
Dr. Rajan has held faculty positions at National-Louis University, where she coordinated the graduate programs in early childhood education, and Roosevelt University where she taught courses in elementary education and supervised student teachers. She has been working with teachers and teacher candidates for more than 10 years, and sits on various Illinois state councils and advisory committees for early childhood assessment. Dr. Rajan is also the president and founder of the Greater Chicago Area Chapter of the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association. Prior to teaching in higher education, Dr. Rajan taught music, theater, and dance in studio and classroom settings, and performed in numerous operas, operettas, and musicals.
