Thomas F. Ryan is a member of the research pilot staff at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. Employed by Computer Science Corp. under contract to Dryden, Ryan joined the flight operations staff at Dryden in January 2010.

Ryan is a pilot in the Agency's Earth science research program, flying the center's ER-2, Gulfstream II and III and B-200 King Air aircraft. He is a former U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Air Force pilot, flying C-130 aircraft in the former and U-2 reconnaissance planes for the latter. He was a Coast Guard Deck Watch Officer on the cutter Gentian (WLB-290) and, with the Air Force, flew deployments to Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Ryan holds the ranks of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force major. He is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn., with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. Honors he has received include three Meritorious Medals, seven Air Medals and one Air Achievement Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medal, and Humanitarian Service Medal.

December 2010