Ben started as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Mississippi State University in the Fall of 2025. Previously, he was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow (Plant Genomes Research Program) working with Dr. Carrie Wessinger at the University of South Carolina. Ben received his BS in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University, and stayed at OSU to work with Dr. Andi Wolfe for his PhD, where he studied comparative phylogeography and systematics in the shrubby Penstemons (Penstemon subgenus Dasanthera).

Sara completed her B.S. in Biology from Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri in 2025. During this time, she was a member of Kyra Krakos’ lab with Missouri Botanical Garden where she did work on Nymphaea odorata and Iris virginica. From 2022-2025, Sara was a member of the team on the USDA urban orchard project with Maryville University, Webster University, University of Missouri St. Louis, Saint Louis University, and the St. Louis Zoo. Most of Sara's undergraduate research has focused on pollination studies and overall reproductive success of plant species. Her PhD work will focus on ecological, evolutionary, and genetic aspects of nectar production in Physostegia species.