Rya is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Geographical Sciences. She is interested in remote sensing to study forest structure and biodiversity, specifically in cases such as coffee agroforestry in the tropics. Rya is a graduate research assistant for Dr. Ralph Dubayah working on the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission.

Rya received a BA in Earth Sciences from Columbia University and a BA in Social Sciences from Sciences Po Paris in 2019 through the schools' Dual BA Program. In her free time, Rya enjoys rock climbing, photography, and baking.

For the 2021-22 academic year, Rya is serving as the Treasurer, the Activities & Events Coordinator, and the Graduate Committee Representative for the Geographical Sciences Graduate Student Organization (GEOG GSO). She is also a member of the BSOS Dean's Graduate Student Advisory Committee (DGSAC).

Rya is a recipient of the BSOS Dean's Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship and a Smithsonian Institution Graduate Fellowship.