Ransom is the Head of the Durability, Damage Tolerance and Reliability Branch at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia where he has worked for over 30 years. In this position, which he has held since 2002, he manages over 60 employees including civil servants, contractors, and university faculty and students. The Branch focuses on understanding and quantifying the structural behavior and the durability and damage tolerance of aircraft and spacecraft vehicles. Dr. Ransom received the Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from Virginia State University in 1983, the Master of Science Degree in Engineering Mechanics from Old Dominion University in 1989 and the Doctoral Degree in Aerospace Engineering also from Old Dominion University in 2001.

During his tenure at NASA, he has performed research in computational damage mechanics, finite element methods development and high performance computing methods. More specifically, he has developed multidisciplinary physics-based analytical and computational methods for analyzing and predicting the response of advanced materials and structures for aerospace applications.

He has received numerous NASA awards among them the prestigious NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal received in 1998 for his research, development and successful technology transfer of a novel computational method for analysis and design of structural systems. He was also honored in 2006 by the Minorities in Research Sciences with a Career Achievement Award for his sustained research in computational structural mechanics. In addition to recognition for his research accomplishments, Dr. Ransom is a 2011 recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for outstanding leadership of the Durability, Damage Tolerance and Reliability Branch, the Langley Research Directorate, and the Agency.