Ryan Toohey

Ryan has worked for over 24 years in water resources specializing in interdisciplinary applications of hydrology, water quality, ecosystem services, stakeholder engagement and governance from the tropics to Alaska. Throughout those years, he has worked as a consultant, academic, tribal non-governmental organization staff, and now with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Ryan received a joint Ph.D. in Environmental Science (Hydrology/Agroforestry) from the University of Idaho and the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Costa Rica. Ryan received his B.S. in Environmental Science (Water Quality/GIS) from Western Washington University. His current position with the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center (AK CASC), includes research that involves investigating environmental change, hydrological modeling, and community-based research that integrates Indigenous Knowledge, social, water and soils science.

Over the past 10 years, Ryan has been using citizen science, community-based research, and hydrological methods to investigate how permafrost dynamics influence biogeochemical fluxes of small and large rivers within the Alaskan and Yukon Boreal forest. In addition to his position at the Alaska CASC, Ryan serves as an Affiliate Research Assistant Professor for the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where he has mentored several graduate students. Ryan has consistently supported student internships while producing publications, community reports, and conference presentations with undergraduate and graduate student co-authors.

Ryan has also demonstrated a commitment to improving workplace culture by serving as a Diversity Change Agent, Peer Support Worker, and part of the CASC Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council leadership. Ryan has received the USGS Balsey Award for Technology Transfer for his work with the Indigenous Observation Network.