Michael Barasch
Associate Vice President for Development

Michael joins Rice from the University of Pennsylvania, where he serves as Associate Vice President of Development for University Strategic Philanthropy and Priorities. In this role, he leads the central major gifts, gift planning and Penn Global fundraising teams across the university, overseeing strategy, prospect management, and performance metrics while partnering closely with deans and development leaders campus-wide. Over the past year, he has rebuilt and expanded frontline teams, redesigned gift officer metrics and counting policies, strengthened collaboration across schools and centers, and helped position Penn for historic fundraising success.

Previously, Michael served as Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of Alumni Relations at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. There, he led a 26-person alumni relations and development team, rebuilt the operation, and delivered record-setting fundraising results—including surpassing the school’s $200 million campaign goal well ahead of schedule. Earlier in his tenure at UT Austin, he held senior leadership roles in the Cockrell School of Engineering, where he managed major and principal gifts, corporate and foundation relations, stewardship, and annual giving, helping drive more than $500 million in campaign commitments and advancing transformative interdisciplinary initiatives.

Throughout his career, Michael has demonstrated the qualities we seek in this role: strategic leadership, a strong commitment to collaboration, a data-informed and performance-driven approach, and a deep investment in coaching and mentoring teams. He has successfully partnered with university presidents, deans, and faculty to cultivate and solicit principal-level gifts, while also building cultures of accountability, transparency, and shared success within development organizations. He brings significant campaign experience and a passion for aligning philanthropic strategy with institutional priorities—both of which will be critical as we continue to strengthen our individual giving programs and prepare for the future.