Ryan Carney grew up in Minnesota, USA. He also lived in California, Connecticut and Rhode Island while advancing his education. Carney has now settled in his current position which took him to Tampa, Florida. He is a Professor of Digital Science at the University of South Florida where he conducts research and teaches subjects on paleontology, the study of dinosaurs, and epidemiology, the study of diseases.  

Carney grew interested in scientific endeavors as a child. He was particularly fascinated by the evolutionary process, specifically that of birds. His interest in mosquitoes peaked at a later age through disease transmission studies. The natural world has, and continues to be, his greatest inspiration; and in addition to his scientific studies, Carney draws on nature to produce art and music in his free time. 

Carney believes, “Citizen science is important because it enables everyday people to participate in various scientific projects, which can also have real-world impacts.” Citizen scientist collected observations can drastically increase the geographic coverage accessible for researchers, far surpassing what can be achieved using traditional data collection methods. In his current research, Carney and his team use observations from the GLOBE Observer app to track invasive and disease-spreading mosquitoes. They use artificial intelligence programming to transform these observations into usable data. This data has also been integrated into the interactive Global Mosquito Observations Dashboard, making the analyzed data accessible. 

Carney says the best way to increase support for citizen science is to “Spread the word to your family, friends and peers!” Grassroots efforts are critical for introducing people around the world to the idea that anyone can make scientific observations. He and his team have appeared on live television broadcasts like Good Morning America and attended countless classroom outreach events to spread the word. 

Carney’s favorite quote comes from Leonardo da Vinci who said, "Study the science of art. Study the art of science… Realize that everything connects to everything else.”