Since childhood, Ben has shown an interest in wildlife and the natural world, joining the Ventura Audubon society at age 10. He became a volunteer at BeachCOMBERS for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at age 14 and surveyed a coastal segment for four years. He pursued a double major as an undergraduate in Biology and Environmental Science at Willamette University. During summers in-between years of undergrad, Ben worked multiple positions as a Wildlife Biology Intern at the U.S. Department of Defense and a Wildlife Biologist for Tetra Tech at Pt. Mugu. At Duke University, Ben studied Environmental Management with an emphasis in Environmental Economics and Policy. During his time in graduate school, Ben became highly proficient in statistical software programs such as Python and R. Additionally, Ben became interested in using Structured Decision-Making and Geospatial Science to improve wildlife/natural resource management through his graduate internship experiences at the Center for Biological Diversity and Duke Global Health Institute. As a long-term goal, Ben wants to become a Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and potentially pursue a Ph.D. in ecology.