Ryan Schmidt, Ph.D.

Dr. Schmidt is Drayton’s project manager. He received his Ph.D. from the University of
Montana, Missoula, his M.A. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and his B.A. from the University of Toledo, Ohio – all in the fields of Anthropology and Archaeology. Dr. Schmidt went on to specialize in archaeogenetics and held postdoctoral fellowships in the countries of Japan, Ireland, Portugal, and Sweden, which led to scientific publications in leading international journals, including Science and Nature. He recently returned to the U.S. focusing on Cultural Resource Management, where he was employed as a staff archaeologist and burial site monitor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. In addition, he has served as a Senior Archaeologist for the search and recovery of missing or killed in action U.S. military service personnel during WWII and the Vietnam War. Currently at Drayton, Dr. Schmidt is responsible for daily scheduling, task management, report writing and editing, as well as preparing cultural resource assessment proposals and estimating costs for clients ranging from property owners to state and government agencies. Ryan only recently moved to the area from Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he misses supper clubs, Old Style, and brandy old fashioned cocktails. In his free time, Ryan enjoys hiking, reading, and watching English Premier football.