Ben is driven to work in literacy research and help children succeed later in life by his experiences working with college students who struggled academically. Prior to working at the IRRC, he worked in higher education and educational technology as a client services manager for Leepfrog Technologies, project director and University Innovation Alliance fellow for Georgia State University, and the assistant director for academic support and retention at the University of Iowa. He also briefly worked as a business analyst for Johnson County (Iowa). Ben earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and a Master of Education in student affairs administration from Clemson University. Ben and his wife have two daughters. In his free time, he enjoys playing volleyball and attending events in downtown Iowa City.