Hometown: Clay Center, Kansas
Research Interests: History; culture; women, peace, and security; American foreign policy; security cooperation in the Arab world

Ben earned his M.A. in History from Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS. He is a U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer with a background in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear operations. Ben has served in various roles within the U.S. Army over the past 12 years, including deployments to South Korea and Afghanistan. He studied Modern Standard Arabic at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. Prior to beginning studies at Georgetown, Ben served as the Executive Officer for the Army International Affairs Division in the Pentagon. His next assignment is in North Africa as a regional specialist.