Raynor holds two degrees from UW-Madison, an M.S. in environmental resources and a PhD in agricultural and applied economics. As a graduate student, Raynor worked with AAE professor Dan Phaneuf investigating the economic benefits to Wisconsin of the Lake Michigan sport fisheries. The study was funded by the UW-Madison Sea Grant Institute. Raynor applies an economic lens to wildlife ecology, natural resource management, remote sensing/GIS, to name a few. Although known for her work focused on marine environments, recent work with AAE faculty Nick Parker and Corbett Grainger evaluated the economic impact of wolves in Wisconsin. She credits the collaborative environment at UW-Madison as fundamental to the development of her interdisciplinary approach to research, and says the collaborative culture was instrumental in her decision to return to Madison.