I previously taught at the University of Oregon where I was a professor of philosophy and professor of law and co-founded the Peace Studies Program and the Masters Program in Conflict Resolution. I have also taught at Northwestern University, Harvard Law School, and Boston University, and have been a Global Ethics Fellow and Senior Fellow, Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs. 

I have been named one of the leading scholars in peace and conflict studies by the Washington Post and received the Joseph J. Blau Prize from the Society for Advancement of American Philosophy for significant contributions to the history of American philosophy.

I also have a background in political activism, which deeply informs my academic work. I was involved in the civil rights movement starting in 1963, I worked in an antipoverty program in southeastern Kentucky in the summers of 1964 and 1965, and became increasingly involved in anti-Vietnam War activities in the late 1960s. It was during that time that I worked with Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, mainly at their farm in upstate New York. Dorothy has been the major political influence on me. 

My political work has had an artistic side. I have always been interested in playwriting. In 1978 I co-authored the play with Randi Douglas, "Appalachian Ebeneezer", that adapted Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" for Depression-era Appalachia. It has since been produced throughout the United States. In the 1980s and 1990s I worked with a theater group, Teatro Nuestro, that performed plays in Spanish throughout the West Coast providing anti-pesticide information. Stories about our work appeared in over fifty newspapers and magazines as well as National Public Radio and PBS. Among other projects, I co-authored the play with Marcos Martinez, “Holy Dirt”, that has been produced throughout the United States and other countries. 

I am married to Sandy Stein Ryan, an artist and former professor of art at Oregon State University. We have three children, Tammy, Lisa, and Jeff, and many grandchildren. I was born in Los Angeles, California. My mother was Jessica Cadwalader Ryan, author of several novels and children’s books and the founder of the Oakwood School in Los Angeles. (See http://www.oakwoodschool.org). My father was Robert Ryan, a movie star of the 1940’s-1960’s best known for his work in film noir and cowboy movies. (See his IMDB profile) Both my parents were deeply committed to human rights and I owe my social conscience entirely to them.