Teaching & Service
Ben brings more than a decade of classroom and instructional leadership experience — from teaching choral music and drama in southern Arizona to supporting graduate students and future researchers at UW–Madison.
Higher Education Instruction
University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Jan & May 2026Co-Instructor, Dissertation Writing Camp — The Graduate School and Writing Center
- 2025 – 2026Outreach Coordinator and TA Supervisor, Writing Center; Ongoing Education Section Leader, “Be Curious, Not Judgmental: AI, the Writing Process, and Writing Center Work” (Spring 2026)
- 2025 – 2026Workshop Facilitator, Dissertation Support Series — “Getting Started with Writing Your Dissertation” (Spring 2026) and “Getting Your Dissertation Off the Ground” (Fall 2025)
- Spring 2025Teaching Assistant, Writing Center
- Fall 2024Guest Lecturer, ELPA 810: Doctoral Inquiry
- Fall 2023Teaching Assistant, ELPA 827: Surveys and Quantitative Data Collection Strategies
Professional Development Facilitation
- Jan 2026Instructor, “Writing an Effective CV” — UCEA Graduate Student Council Webinar
- 2024 – 2025Co-Instructor, Leadership for Guidance, Belonging, and Trust — GSAFE School Leadership Institute
- 2022 – 2023Invited Educator, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusiveness Summit — Tucson Unified School District
- 2019 – 2026Professional Learning Institute Facilitator, Sahuarita Unified School District — sessions on supporting student diversity, equity and inclusivity, Teacher of the Year coaching, and instructional technology
K–12 & Community Teaching
- 2014 – 2021Choral Music and Drama Teacher, Walden Grove High School, Sahuarita Unified School District (AZ) — GSA Advisor (2014–2021); Department Chair (2017–2019)
- 2017 – 2021Instructional Coach, Sahuarita Unified School District
- 2016 – 2020Mentor Teacher, Sahuarita Unified School District
- 2022Instructor, “Acting Up: Curtain Call” — Badger Precollege Middle School Summer Program, UW–Madison
Teaching Credentials
- NBPTSNational Board Certified Teacher — Music: Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood / Vocal
- ArizonaSecondary Certification — Endorsements: Music (Vocal and Instrumental K–12), Chemistry, Structured English Immersion
Service & Leadership
Professional Service
- 2025 – 2026Membership Chair, AERA Division A
- 2025 – 2026Senior Representative, AERA Division A
- 2024 – 2025Junior Representative, AERA Division A
- 2023 – 2026Graduate Student Council Member, University Council for Educational Administration
- 2023 – 2024Committee Member, Gender Inclusive Taskforce, UW–Madison
- 2023 – 2024Fireside Chat Chair, AERA Division L
- 2020 – 2021Teacher Co-Chair, Arizona Department of Education — Taskforce for the Re-Opening of Schools
- 2019 – 2021Member, Arizona Department of Education — Round Table Advisory Committee for the Arts
- 2019 – 2021School of Excellence Award Site Evaluator and Educators Rising Mentor Teacher, Arizona Educational Foundation
- 2017 – 2019Arizona Repertoire and Resources Chair, American Choral Directors Association
- 2017 – 2019South Central Region Choir Chair, Arizona Music Educators Association
- 2016 – 2018Chair, GLSEN Tucson (Board Member, 2014–2016)
Peer Review
- JournalEducational Researcher
- JournalEducational Policy
- 2022 – 2026Conference review: AERA Division A (incl. Foster-Polite Travel Award & Graduate Student Dialogic Forum), AERA SIGs (Critical Quantitative Methodologies; Queer Studies), UCEA Graduate Student Summit
Academic Service
- 2021 – 2024Executive Committee Member, LEADS Graduate Student Organization, ELPA, UW–Madison
- 2017 – 2020Student Teacher Supervisor, Schools of Music and Education, University of Arizona
Honors & Awards
- 2026National Academy of Education / Spencer Dissertation Fellow
- 2026Graduate Peer Mentor Award, Graduate School, UW–Madison
- 2026Finalist, Three Minute Thesis, UW–Madison (Semifinal Winner, 2025)
- 2025Kaplan Dissertation Fellowship in LGBTQ+ Studies, UW–Madison
- 2025Scholar, David L. Clark National Graduate Research Seminar in Educational Administration and Policy
- 2024Emerging Scholar, William L. Boyd National Educational Politics Workshop
- 2021National Board Certified Teacher, NBPTS
- 2020Governor’s Proclamation Award, Arizona Thespians
- 2019Teacher of the Year Semifinalist, Arizona Educational Foundation
- 2019Teacher of the Year, Freeport-McMoRan and Sahuarita Unified School District
- 2018Teacher of the Year, Walden Grove High School; Teacher of Excellence, Tucson Values Teachers
- 2013Outstanding Senior, University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music