Ryan has served as State Folklorist since 2025. He directs the Folklife Network, Folklife Apprenticeship, and Heritage Award programs; manages media; administers MSAC’s award-winning Land Acknowledgement Project; and has oversight of the Maryland Traditions Archives housed at UMBC. In developing the vision of the Archives, he promotes a “shared stewardship” model, in which the traditional artists and cultural workers represented within the collections share authority for the archival materials. Ryan grew up in Carroll County, Maryland, and has performed with his family’s traditional Celtic and Nordic music ensemble, Wherligig since he was 9. He received a PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a Certified Archivist and member of several professional societies, including the American Folklore Society, Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, and Society of American Archivists. He has taught, presented, and published on topics in archives, culture, history, and performance.
