About me

Hi, I'm Ryan. I've been in Florida for over 30 years, so I've seen my fair share of hurricanes, would not recommend. That experience gave me a deep respect for weather, and I genuinely enjoy tracking major events and breaking down the data so people actually know what to expect when something big is rolling in.

I'm 35 now and have basically been glued to a computer since I was 5. I'm a huge gamer, and that love for tech is what pulled me toward computer science. But my background is kind of all over the place, honestly. I grew up working alongside my dad, who's a master carpenter with over 40 years of experience, so I learned early on how to build things with my hands before I ever touched a keyboard. From there I spent time in plastics manufacturing and material science, which ended up shaping a lot of how I think about making things.

Eventually I decided to switch things up. I've been obsessed with space since I was a kid, always looking up, so I went back to school for a biology degree with a focus on astrobiology. I wanted to understand how science could help us grow things better here on Earth, and someday, out there.

That led me to working in biology and wildlife conservation for a while, mostly out in the Everglades, which was genuinely one of the coolest experiences of my life. For the last few years I've been at USA TODAY, doing reporting and marketing.

Outside of work, I'm a big nature lover, from the cellular level all the way up to the fruit on the vine. I've basically turned my entire patio into an urban garden: peppers, tomatoes, kale, hydroponic setups, solar-powered automatic watering systems. I use my tech and engineering background to automate as much of it as possible with 3D printed parts and custom builds. It's a little chaotic but I love it.

The space obsession never went away either. I'm still deep into spaceflight and photography, and I was part of the NASA Crew 8 Social, which was pretty surreal. I also report on breaking news topics that catch my attention, mostly over on my Threads account if you want to follow along.

This site is where all of that comes together. I have a 3D printing collection for sale, and I also do custom builds. With my background in plastics and materials, I can put together custom machines if you need something specific, just reach out.

Thanks for stopping by.