Ben Farmer

I am a senior completing a B.S. in Biology at the University of Kentucky, with the eventual intent to pursue a graduate degree studying coral reef ecology. In the meantime at UK, I am studying parental care behavior of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus. I recently completed a research project as a Charleston REU intern studying microbiology of extremophiles, picking up various bioinformatic and laboratory skills. Last year, I studied marine biology in Bonaire (Caribbean Netherlands) during a semester abroad. Alongside a semester of coursework, I conducted independent research on coral disease at the CIEE Research Station. This study involved extensive scientific dives on the reef, as well as data analysis of local disease prevalence from the past decade. I published my study alongside the work of my peers in the station's journal, Physis. I plan to pursue graduate school in the fall of 2020, studying coral reef ecology and coral disease.