Ryan MacDonald

Ph.D

Ryan is a Hydrologist who joined WaterSMART in 2012 as a Special Advisor. Our clients benefit from his expertise in water usage and management, and from his extensive knowledge of surface and subsurface hydrology, focusing on physical processes and aquatic ecosystems.

Over the past 11 years, Ryan has worked on a range of projects looking at the impacts of changes in climate and land use on water resources and freshwater ecosystems.. While at WaterSMART, he lends his expertise to multi-stakeholder projects that apply models to help inform management decision making.

Ryan received his B.Sc. in Environmental Science, his M.Sc. in Physical Geography, and his Ph.D. in Earth, Space, and Physical Science with a concentration in Hydrology from the University of Lethbridge. He is also currently an adjunct Assistant Professor with the University of Lethbridge. His research and career focuses are developing and implementing models to address a wide range of water-related questions. He is also involved in field-based research and applied projects looking at interactions between human land use and freshwater systems. He has published numerous research articles and co-authored two books. He enjoys working with clients from a wide range of sectors while maintaining his involvement in academia.