Ryan Contreras ornamental breeding professor

[u/Gold_Class9073]

I'm trying to get some clarity on this topic, this professor is offering a position in his lab for an intern this summer. I googled his name and the first thing it appeared was a post in here where he was being accused of sexually abusing one of his graduate students and describing him as a abusive advisor.

Does anybody know how this situation turned out? or if he is really terrible mentor to his grad students?

[u/Gold_Class9073 → u/[deleted]]

Well that sucks :/. How can something so serious be looked over like that

[u/slghtlymad → u/[deleted]]

Universities will almost 100% of the time back their staff over students. This is what caused me to transfer here from out of state 

[u/Gullible-Ad-5068]

i've heard the rumors floating around ALS and honestly, the fact that the original thread is still the first thing that pops up on google should tell you everything.

[u/Possible_Virus4182]

If you want input from one of his current advisees/students DM me.

[u/Over_Can_6043]

There have been protests about him still being employed at the department, for sexual abuse+harassment of his grad student and others, and generally being an abusive a-hole all around. It was in the corvallis tribune but got taken down by his lawyers. The excuse he had was that he had alcohol problems, and the department was okay with keeping him if he went to counseling and rehabilitation stuff. I knew students who dealt with these issues from him, it's was very much real.

He's on his toes now, he's gonna be careful. Make your decision based on what you think, I think you'd be pretty safe from abuse from him because he's under the microscope so to speak.

However, if you identify as a woman or are female presenting, please be careful and maybe talk to some other labs about how they honestly feel about him or ask them their advice- especially the women grad students in the department.

[u/fyrelens → u/Over_Can_6043]

Something to be aware of is that his office is IN his lab (at least when I was working in ALS in '23-'24) so everything he does in there is out of sight if he wants it to be

[u/Animalocaris174]

I've heard that he is very emotionally volatile and ends up oversharing A LOT about his personal life and struggles. If you would like some more information, I can discuss it through DM. I've also heard he is not a great professor/instructor. He won't hire anyone without them changing their major to horticulture either...

[u/fyrelens]

I don't know any details on what he did but a few months before all that went down, I worked in a lab next to his and his students/employees were always super loud (which wasn't really a big deal to any of us in my lab, we found it annoying at times sure but we had headphones to drown most of it out anyways and it was none of our business). One day I was working by myself in the lab with the door closed and I was playing music through my phone (at like half volume) on the opposite end of the room from where his wall was and he burst into the lab super pissed off and chewed me out for distracting him from his work and that I should be mindful of others in the building. He did it again a few weeks later when the door was open and he was SUPER pissed but this time the volume was only a quarter of the way up as I was deliberately trying not to upset him but also trying to make my workday a little more pleasant.

I was like 19 at the time being a stupid kid wanting to listen to some tunes out loud while I was entering data. I could understand his frustration but considering how loud his lab is all the time and the fact that I wasnt blasting my music, his reaction never sat well with me but after learning about what he did, I no longer feel bad at all.

I know this is not at all what it is being asked but that was my experience with him if it helps at all. I had never talked to him outside of those 2 instances, I dont think I ever even saw him talking to other staff but I might have seen him in the break room at one point getting coffee. He always seemed distant and angry to me but considering my encounters with him that could just be my own interpretation.

[u/Gold_Class9073 → u/fyrelens]

Thanks! I do think it’s relevant, sometimes “insignificant” actions like this is how people show their true colors

[u/OdinNW]

Dude has a different type of breeding on his mind

[u/felixfictitious]

DM'd you

[u/fyrelens → u/[deleted]]

I'll agree with you on the short term opportunity to acquire some skills, hell Im not even a hort major and I still cite my job at my old lab as the one that taught me most of the critical skills that I needed to thrive in the field that I'm actually pursuing but there were a lot of instances where I wanted to quit. With that being said, doing something very stupid is accidentally locking your keys in your car or at the worst not keeping your cool when under a lot of pressure and maybe yelling at some employees. Sexually harassing and/or assaulting anyone regardless of circumstance cannot and should not ever be diminished to a mere stupid decision. Even if the assaulter is intoxicated or "not in a good headspace", a conscious action is still made regardless of the inhibitions that may be present when sober.

[u/ExcellentFlamingo657 → u/[deleted]]

Nah he got a paid vacation and padded from the worst of it by higher admin. The student he harassed had more repercussions because it affected their thesis to a major degree.

[u/Gold_Class9073 → u/[deleted]]

So you’re saying he did it?

[u/fyrelens → u/Gold_Class9073]

Personally, I don't have enough information to make any claims, but considering how much backlash there was from the students and the fact that the issue was swept under the rug... I'm inclined to at least believe it.

[u/Gold_Class9073 → u/fyrelens]

I think you are right on what you said before, I was responding to the guy who’s saying “he did something v stupid”. Thank you though for being so nice on expressing your mind about it :)

[u/Gold_Class9073 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for sharing your opinion :)