Ryan Kellman
Ryan Kellman is a producer and visual reporter for NPR's science desk. Kellman joined the desk in 2014. In his first months on the job, he worked on NPR's Peabody Award-winning coverage of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. He has won several other notable awards for his work: He is a Fulbright Grant recipient, he has received a John Collier Award in Documentary Photography, and he has several first place wins in the WHNPA's Eyes of History Awards. He holds a master's degree from Ohio University's School of Visual Communication and a B.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute.
From 2015-2018, Kellman produced NPR's science YouTube show — Skunk Bear — for which he covered a wide range of science subjects, from the brain science of break-ups to the lives of snowy owls. Currently, Kellman's work focuses on climate, energy, health, and space.
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Many residents in Altadena, Calif., evacuated not knowing it would be the last time they would see their homes standing. Their decisions about what possessions to take were rushed — or not made at all. -
A network of rescue groups are caring for animals affected by wildfires still burning in the Los Angeles area. A multi-state operation is under way to help relieve local animal shelters. -
More than a million species are at risk of extinction, many within decades, because of human actions. Among them? The kāhuli, Hawaii's native tree snails that are some of the most endangered animals on the planet. At one point, there used to be about 750 species of snails in Hawaii — almost all of them found nowhere else. Now, they are rapidly disappearing. NPR climate reporters Lauren Sommer and Ryan Kellman join host Emily Kwong to tell the story of the small team caring for the last of some of these snail species — and their fight against extinction. Read more of Lauren and Ryan's reporting. Curious about other biodiversity news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org and we might cover your topic on a future episode! -
Hawaii's native tree snails, known as the "jewels of the forest," are rapidly disappearing. Some of the most imperiled only live in human care now, safeguarded 24 hours a day. -
A team of scientists and bakers in the Pacific Northwest is searching for ways to make whole wheat bread resilient to a warming world — and more delicious. -
To a lot of people, mosquito bites are annoying. But to the rare Hawaiian honeycreepers, they're deadly. Scientists in Maui are racing against time to save them ... and discovering some pretty crazy innovations along the way. Like, releasing-mosquitos-incapable-of-breeding level innovations. -
Hawaii's unique birds, known as honeycreepers, are being wiped out by mosquitoes carrying avian malaria. The birds' last hope could be more mosquitoes, designed to crash their own population. -
When authorities find wildlife that are being illegally trafficked, at ports or airports, the animals are often in terrible shape. Sick, starved, distressed. A pilot project in Southern California aims to get seized wildlife immediate care. -
The debris from Lahaina's fire contains toxic chemicals and sits right next to a coral reef. So the community is collaborating with scientists to track water quality. -
Climate change is heating oceans faster than the world's coral reefs can handle. So scientists are breeding corals that can withstand hotter temperatures – but only to a point.
