I am a community-engaged scholar whose work explores the intersection of social justice, local government, and identity. More specifically, my work focuses on the ways identity-based narratives and negative social constructions maintain structural inequalities in public policy and administration for people of color, those who identify as LGBTQIA, and people at the intersections of these and other identities. My most recent work seeks to examine the ways in which mindfulness, intergroup dialogue, and racial healing can influence equitable policy development, implementation and public decision-making.
Tia Sherèe Gaynor, Ph.D. is an associate professor in leadership and management at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the UMN faculty, Dr. Gaynor was an associate professor of political science and founding director of the Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation at the University of Cincinnati.
Tia is a community-engaged scholar immersed in equity and inclusion. Her work explores the intersection of social justice, local government, and identity. More specifically, focusing on the ways identity-based narratives, negative social constructions, and decision-making lead to inequitable outcomes for people of color, those who identify as LGBTQIA, and people at the intersections of these and other identities. Her most recent work sits at the nexus of mindfulness, intergroup dialogue, and racial healing to explore avenues toward equity and justice.
In its entirety, Dr. Gaynor’s scholarship offers a critical analysis of hegemony and argues against the normative assumptions embedded in the traditional theory and practice of public and nonprofit administration. As co-founder of Praxis Matters, LLC, a consulting firm that supports organizations meet their equity and justice goals, Tia pairs empirical knowledge with practical solutions to center equity within organizations. She has designed and delivered a host of trainings, executed equity-centered strategic plans, and conducted equity assessments. Dr. Gaynor brings with her more than twenty years of professional experience in nonprofit administration, research, and evidenced-based curriculum development.