Ryan Merola is Deputy Commissioner & Chief of Staff or NYC Department of Sanitation. He previously served as Chief of Staff in the Information & Technology Bureau for the NYPD. He previously worked in the Counterterrorism Bureau at NYPD as an Intelligence Research Specialist for several years. A 2011 Mitchell Scholar, Ryan received a Master's Degree in Violence, Terrorism and Security from Queen's University, Belfast. He chose the course to build upon his experience working in the Counter-Terrorism Bureau of the New York City Police Department. His thesis research examined the effectiveness of urban counter-terrorism programs using the NYPD as a case study. Ryan was interested to learn how policing in Northern Ireland had evolved to deal with civil unrest and the threat of terrorism. He also worked for the Alliance Party in Belfast doing on the ground campaign work. Ryan is passionate about politics and in the longer term hopes to work in New York City government. He is particularly interested in the administration and operations of local government and the challenges of coordinating the efforts of multiple agencies to positively impact the lives of citizens. Ryan obtained his undergraduate degree CUNY-Brooklyn College and his JD from Brooklyn Law School in New York City.