Ryan Cahalan
USGS
Research Geologist
Ryan Cahalan is a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow and research geologist with the US Geological Survey's GMEG Science Center in Portland, Oregon. Ryan first joined the USGS for a postdoc in 2020 after completing a PhD at the University of Oregon on modeling multiphase transport in water-rich volcanic eruptions. In November 2022, he began his Mendenhall Fellwoship with the Geothermal Resource Investigations Project (GRIP) where he applies his flow modeling background to solving problems related to geological energy storage and production. Presently, his research focuses on developing numerical tools for modeling heat recovery from underground thermal energy storage (UTES) for heating and cooling applications. These tools will be the basis for the next USGS regional and national UTES storage assessments. Ryan is also the Powell Center Fellow for the City-scale Geothermal Energy Project. Outside the office, he enjoys being a dad, fishing, foraging, and experimenting with fermenting foods.