[1] Ragster earned a Ph.D. in biology with a plant biochemistry concentration from the University of California, San Diego in 1980.
[1][3] Her dissertation was titled, Proteinases and the Control of Protein Degradation in the Leaves of Soybean (G̲l̲y̲c̲i̲n̲e̲ m̲a̲x̲ [L.] Merr).
[2] Ragster began her career as an assistant professor at the College of the Virgin Islands (UVI).
[3] She was promoted to professor of marine biology and served as chair of the division of science and mathematics.
[4] Ragster has served as president of the League of Women Voters of the Virgin Islands.