Ravi S. Rajan is an American artist and academic administrator working as the fourth president of the California Institute of the Arts.

His mother, who was initially not allowed to finish High School, stayed in Mumbai taking care of their two daughters, the younger of which became quite ill and died.

After graduating from Yale, Rajan moved to New York City, where he worked as a designer for Rockefeller University, performed in Broadway shows, and offered private trumpet lessons.

[2] 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.

[4] 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.