Ruonan graduated from University of Canberra's IT program in 2012. He then went to the Australian National University (ANU) to complete his postgraduate degree in management information systems, followed by five years of Ph.D. training (2015-2020), where he became an associate lecturer. He joined Lancaster University Management School in November 2020.

Ruonan has taught management information systems in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs, in several leading universities, including ANU and University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Canberra. Ruonan is working on multiple projects about platform service, information diffusion on digital channels, and IT for development economics. He welcomes prospective Ph.D. students who are interested in these topics.