Dr. Gaynor is sought after for her expertise in equity, inclusion, community-partnered research, leadership, healing, and justice. Currently, an associate professor conducting community-partnered research, she brings with her more than two decades of academic experience. Tia has traveled the world inspiring others to center humanization as a central condition of the human experience in the United States. Her scholarship serves to elevate the often-silenced voices of those directly impacted by social, political, and economic power imbalances. Sitting at the nexus of mindfulness, public affairs, and leadership, Tia’s newest area of work explores healing pathways for people, policy, and organizations. The central ideology underscoring this work is linked to recognizing one’s own humanity, so they are better positioned to recognize that of another.

Prior to joining the faculty at the University fo Minnesota - Twin Cities, Tia founded and directed the Center for Truth, Community Healing, and Transformation (formerly Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation) at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and served as Director for the The Cincinnati Project - a research center focused on community-partnered research projects across the city. While at UC, Dr. Gaynor conducted groundbreaking research highlighting the experiences queer people of the Global Majority have with local law enforcement, trained hundreds of community members to lead racial healing circles, co-created and co-led the Equity Champions Program, partnered with community organizations to facilitate sustainable leadership structures, and partnering with a major philanthropic organization, worked to identify the recipients of a $1M fund for racial justice.

As a thought leader, Dr, Gaynor has been featured by major news outlets, has published in top academic journals, and has spoken across the globe.