Ben earned his Bachelor of Science in Water Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1998. He then went on to earn his Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering Science from Syracuse University in 2000. In May of 2005, Ben earned his Ph.D. in Ecosystem Biogeochemistry from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University. From June 2005 to June 2007, he was a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University and the Department of Global Ecology in Carnegie Institution of Washington at Stanford. Doctor Houlton’s research focuses on Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. He evaluates ecosystem responses to global environmental changes, including acid rain, rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and global warming. Benjamin has earned the various awards for his research including: Best Student Paper Award from the American Water Resources Association in 1998 and 1999; Undergraduate Science Research Award from Sigma Xi, Doctor Houlton is currently a professor in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at the University of California.