Ryan is a PhD candidate in the Regional Planning program with interests in regional and rural development phenomena, particularly regional and local responses to the spatial dynamics of industry, energy and environmental risks, and responses to exogenous shocks. He earned a Master's in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts with a concentration in economic development and has a BS in finance from Bentley College. He has worked as a MassBenchmarks fellow at the UMass Donahue Institute, a research assistant for the NSF Partnership for Innovation at UMass, and has worked for the Office of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Holyoke on several development initiatives.