Alexander Ryan

Background

About Alexander Ryan

I am a geoscientist with a strong background in hydrology, geochemistry, and data science, driven by a passion for understanding Earth's systems through rigorous research and fieldwork. My experience spans both applied hydrologic research with the USGS and paleoclimate reconstruction as a Master's student. At the USGS, I work as a Hydrologic Technician Field Assistant, where I balance fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and data wrangling to support hydrologic research and water quality monitoring. I specialize in water sample collection, equipment maintenance, and large-scale data processing using Python, Alteryx, and Tableau. My role requires strict adherence to USGS data standards and the ability to troubleshoot complex sampling and instrumentation challenges in dynamic field environments. As a Master's student in geoscience, my research focuses on reconstructing past sea surface salinity variability in the Gulf of Mexico using coral geochemistry (Siderastrea siderea). I integrate Sr/Ca and δ¹⁸O geochemical proxies with in-situ oceanographic data to improve our understanding of climate variability in this region. My work involves advanced statistical modeling (including Generalized Additive Models), data visualization, and GIS mapping to interpret multi-decadal environmental changes. Whether in the field collecting samples, in the lab running analyses, or at my desk coding complex datasets, I am committed to producing high-quality, reproducible research. I thrive in collaborative, interdisciplinary environments and am always looking for ways to bridge field-based science with data-driven insights.