Ryan Dumas began his career as an intern in the Reptile House of the Cincinnati Zoo. Later, he spent two summers working as a summer aide at the Newport Aquarium, once as a Rainforest summer aide and once as an Aquatics summer aide. Ryan continued his work there as a volunteer, then as a part-time biologist, and later as a full-time life support technician, all while finishing his college degree.
Three days after graduating in 2007, Ryan began his career here at the National Aquarium, Washington, D.C., as our only herpetologist. Over the years, Ryan has primarily managed the bulk of our reptile and amphibian collection (Exhibit and Quarantine), and at times he maintained 16 other aquatic exhibits, including South American fish and our own native freshwater fish.
Ryan graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 2007 with a B.S. in biological sciences and a minor in physics. While there, Ryan was involved in several research projects, including studies on Anolis carolinensis (common green anole) and studies on eutrophic rivers and their effects on heavy metal bioaccumulation. He authored and was awarded three separate grants to conduct these projects.
But Ryan's passion for wildlife was best suited for the zoo and aquarium industry, where he has direct involvement with wildlife and is able to convey the message of education and conservation of our native herpetofauna.
Ryan is an active member of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Virginia Herpetological Society, the Greater Cincinnati Herpetological Society, and the Kentucky Herpetological Society. He is also part of an Amphibian Conservation Workshop at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.
A native of northern Kentucky, Ryan now resides in Arlington, Virginia, and has acclimated to the fast-paced environment of our nation's capital.
