A former cowboy and adventure guide, Ryan is specialized in examining how agriculture impacts the natural world. He is a two-time National Geographic Explorer who, in 2015-2016, traveled for nine months through Russia and Kazakhstan for his project Comrade Cowboys. In 2018, he will explore the mountains of Uzbekistan where an international team of archaeologists have made a discovery that could rewrite the history of the Ancient Silk Road. Elsewhere, Ryan’s work has been published by NPR, Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, Outside Magazine, among others.