Personal

I was born in Boulder, CO and grew up in State College, PA. Most of my extended family lives in Los Angeles and in England. I am a citizen of the US and of the UK. I am Jewish. I am vegan, and have been (for the most part) since I was born. I identify as bisexual. My life partner is Brendan Griffiths, who works in Career Services at the University of Auckland.

A picture of Ben playing bassoon in a woodwind quintet, with a Santa hat placed on his bassoon.

Music

I play bassoon in orchestras and chamber groups, and I sing in choirs. I also enjoy folk music, and have dreams of being better at acoustic guitar.

A picture of Ben on a ski slope wearing a helmet and ski goggles.

Sliding around on snow

I downhill ski, and I'm learning how to snowboard.

A picture of Ben running with a race bib pinned to his shirt.

Running

I enjoy running, mostly on my own for exercise, though I've been known to participate in the occasional 5K or 10K race.

A picture of Ben balancing on one foot, wearing a sun hat and sunglasses, with mountains in the background.

Being outdoors

I love backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, and snowshoeing in the mountains of Colorado and the deserts of Utah. 

A picture of Ben when he was a toddler, pushing a button on an old-fashioned computer.

Computing

I like getting computers to do cool stuff. I also use computers for gaming. My favorite classic games are Starcraft II and Myst.

Tabletop games

I enjoy playing chess and discovering new board and card games. I prefer cooperative games like Pandemic and Spirit Island.