Rajean’s professional career is dedicated to eliminating ageism and working on age-friendly initiatives that support the inclusion of older adults in society. In the past, Rajean worked with the state unit on aging, area agencies on aging, and the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging. He aided in the founding of Training to Serve (a LGBTQ non-profit), the Minnesota Diverse Elders Coalition, and the Finish Strong Funders Network for Aging Services. Academically, Rajean holds a BA in Psychology, an MS in Gerontology, a PhD in Social Work, and MN nursing home administrator and assisted living director licenses. Rajean joined academia full-time in 2018, in a position spanning the University of Minnesota campus, with roles in the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, the Center for Healthy Aging & Innovation (CHAI), and MN Northstar GWEP. Rajean is appointed to the Governor’s Council on an Age-Friendly Minnesota. He started at CHAI as the Associate Director of Education, where he relaunched the Aging Studies Interdisciplinary Group for students studying aging, the Graduate Minor in Gerontology, and the professional workshop series, and initiated the Age-Friendly University collaboration. He currently serves as CHAI’s Associate Director for Policy and serves as the lead for the Age-Friendly University Council. He serves on the boards of the MN Association of Geriatrics Inspired Clinicians, the Care Providers of Minnesota Foundation, the Stevens Square Foundation, and FamilyMeans. He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, a lifetime member of the Minnesota Gerontological Society, Hartford Fellow, McNair Scholar, and a Health and Aging Policy Fellow.
