Most Influential Books
2020 • Moved to Long Beach, California
The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest container port in the United States—second only to the adjoining Port of Los Angeles. Ry did not move to Long Beach for the Port, but it is a source of constant bewilderment and inspiration.
2019 • Studied Challenges of Just Transition in Strauss Wind Energy Project
Shortly after forging strong bonds with local building trades unions, Ry became participated in the struggle over a just transition to local wind energy. The case study illuminates fissures within mainstream environmental orgs, environmental justice movements, the building trades, local government, and industry.
2017 • Began Studying the Community Choice Aggregation Movement in Santa Barbara
Ry began to dismantle their deep-seated technophobia by delving into the promises and perils of community choice aggregation (CCA) as a means of securing energy democracy.
2016 • Enrolled in UC Santa Barbara Department of Sociology’s PhD Program
At UC Santa Barbara, Ry has had the great pleasure of learning from some of the most respected thinkers in their fields, including David Pellow, Dick Flacks, and Kevin Anderson. They are grateful for being able to work with undergraduates inside and outside the classroom.
2015 • Joined the Climate Justice Movement
Ry first learned about the global climate justice movement in Spring 2015 by auditing an undergraduate course with John Foran. That same year they created a documentary about the water crisis in Santa Barbara, attended the Yale Writers’ Conference to develop their nonfiction writing skills, and journeyed to Paris to observe COP21.
2013 • Moved to Santa Barbara
At the conclusion of an ill-fated Greyhound Bus Trip, Ry found themself in Santa Barbara. It was a happy coincidence that brought them closer to their father and unlocked everything that Santa Barbara has to offer, including the UCSB campus, local organizing, and the beauty of the Central Coast.
2012 • Graduated from Williams College
Ry graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College with a B.A. in Political Science with an emphasis in Political Theory. While not studying, they learned the joys of backpacking, the challenges of snowshoeing, and the art of theatre set construction.
2011 • Studied in the Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford
Ry spent their year abroad at Oxford University. They studied PPE (politics, philosophy, and economics) and took classes in political sociology, sociological theory, antebellum American history, and dialectics. They had the great pleasure of attending five different libraries and three different falafel trucks regularly throughout the year and feeding the horses in Port Meadow.