Marina joined UC Davis in 2016 as Senior Director for International Development. She has customised giving platforms for alumni, parents, and friends of UC Davis to give from abroad: Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Canada. Understanding local giving traditions, propensity to give, affinity, connectedness, and readiness of varied constituents on the ground, she knows this is not one-size-fits fundraising.

Marina was also the Founding Director of the Development Office at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. During her tenure from 2005 to 2014, S$500 million of private support was raised, she made a deep and transformational impact on students, faculty and the university through private support with the naming of: Wee Kim Wee School, Rajaratnam School, Lee Kong Chian School, Lien Ying Chow Drive, Tan Chin Tuan Lecture Theatre, Toh Kian Chui Annex, Margaret Lien Centre for Professional Success, and Sembcorp Marine Lab.

Marina Harper earned her doctorate in philanthropic studies in 2019, from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University.