Ryan is a third-year doctoral student in the Graduate Group in Ecology and a trainee in the Sustainable Oceans program, with a Computational Social Science Designated Emphasis. Originally from Chicago, he spent six years in the Navy, and then used his Post-9/11 GI Bill to earn his B.A. in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and M.M.A. from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) at the University of Washington. His master’s degree focused on the nexus of marine and environmental science and policy, and laid the groundwork for a planned dissertation focusing on decision-making surrounding climate change and renewable energy, looking at offshore wind farm development off the coast of southern California. He previously worked on a project that investigated how local officials in municipalities respond to policy disruptions, specifically the global recycling market collapse and rise in micro-mobility use. His favorite thing to do is travel internationally, closely followed by cross-country road trips to experience the beauty of the U.S.’s landscape and population.