Meet Dr. Ragen McGowan
Purina Pet Technology Development Director
Dr. Ragen’s Role at Purina
With more than 25 years of animal behavior research experience, Dr. Ragen is helping Purina bring this scientific foundation into the digital space to transform data into meaningful insights. As director of global digital and AI product development, she leads the creation of smart technologies designed to better understand pets and support their behavioral and emotional wellbeing.
Her work focuses on how pets think, feel and interact with the world around them, and how insights from behavior, physiology and the gut-brain connection can be used to create products that help pets live happier, healthier lives and strengthen the bond they share with people.
Notable Achievements
- Integral to Petivity Smart Litter Box Monitor system development
- Her team has produced the most extensive documentation of feline litter box behaviors ever recorded
- Has been widely published and reviewed for academic journals
- Contributed expertise to congresses, roundtables and podcasts and spoke at scientific and industry events
- Completed postdoctoral research at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden, studying how dogs experience and express emotions
Education
PhD, Applied Ethology, Washington State University
BS, Zoology, Washington State University
BA, Foreign Language and Literature - Spanish, Washington State University
Meet Dr. Ragen’s Pets
Fjord, Bjorn and Megumi are the heart of Dr. Ragen’s family and her daily source of inspiration. They fuel her passion to create products that give pets a voice and equip pet parents with data-driven reassurance.
Get to Know More Purina Pet Experts
From veterinarians to pet behaviorists, nutritionists and more, we have pet experts from every specialty on our roster. Meet more Purina experts, and see how they’re helping us push pet care forward.