Rate My Professor Sabrina Ragan

Sabrina Ragan is the Senior Development Manager - External Engagement in the Development and Alumni Relations division at the University of Otago. In this role, she supports a team of divisionally and campus-based Development Managers to build and maintain one-to-one engagement with alumni and donors capable of making significant gifts to the university. Her work involves helping these managers foster meaningful relationships with internal key stakeholders, who serve as vital storytellers for the University, and developing robust business processes along with appropriate measures for success. Ragan's vision for Development at Otago is to leverage philanthropy to advance the university's mission, including securing support for scholarships for talented students who might otherwise lack access to higher education and increasing mission-led research capacity.

Ragan brings over two decades of fundraising experience, predominantly gained in the United States before relocating to New Zealand nearly four years ago. Her career began as a student caller soliciting alumni gifts while studying marine biology at a tertiary institution many years ago, which propelled her into fundraising consulting roles in Nevada and California. She progressed to prominent positions at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio—a campus with over 60,000 students—serving as Director of Annual Giving and later as Senior Director of Development for the College of Medicine. In these capacities, she personally raised nearly $200 million to bolster student and faculty support, advance research initiatives, and fund capital project developments and renovations during the university's comprehensive $2.5 billion campaign. Most recently, before joining Otago, Ragan was Vice President of Philanthropy at the Cincinnati Museum Centre, a large multi-museum complex housed in a historic Art Deco train station and National Historic Landmark. There, she planned and successfully launched the institution's inaugural campaign, raising $75 million to reimagine the museum experience for visitors. Ragan notes that alumni frequently cite their unique student experiences at Otago—characterized by quality instructors, inspiring environments, and valuable access—as drivers for philanthropic giving, rooted in gratitude. She is passionate about philanthropy as a transformative partnership that changes lives and communities locally, nationally, and internationally.