Donald P. Ryan, Ph.D. is an archaeologist and Faculty Fellow in the Division of Humanities at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. His work focuses on Egyptian archaeology, Polynesian archaeology, and ancient languages and scripts. His research in Egypt includes excavations in the Valley of the Kings, where he has discovered lost tombs and controversial mummies - Ryan excavated a tomb of one of the individuals to be featured in 24 Hours in Ancient Egypt, Amenemope the vizier of the ruler Amenhotep II. In 2017, he rediscovered three lost tombs in the Valley of the Kings also associated with that same ruler.

Ryan is the author of several books and numerous scientific and popular articles on archaeological subjects, including Ancient Egypt on Five Deben a Day, Beneath the Sands of Egypt and Ancient Egypt: The Basics.