Benjamin Webster is a doctoral candidate, with Dr. Matthew Waters as his advisor and Dr. Karen McNeal as a committee member, in the Department of Crop, Soils, and Environmental Science. His research focus is the interdisciplinary overlap of lake reservoir ecology, paleolimnological sediment records, and water scarcity brought on by droughts from intensifying climate change. Prior to this, Benjamin finished his Master's at Auburn University, still under the mentorship of Dr. Waters, his thesis “Sediment and Nutrient Transport Through a Reservoir Sequence Along a Large River System” was the foundation propelling him into his doctoral program. Benjamin’s interest for reservoirs and related water scarcity began at a young age growing up in Metropolitan Atlanta, an area highly reliant on reservoirs as a drinking water source and which has also undergone two Supreme Court case litigations regarding water rights. Before arriving at Auburn, Benjamin received his B.A. of Biology from Valdosta State University and then spent a year as an AmeriCorps/ Great Basin Institute intern. In this internship he was partnered with the National Park Service and stationed at Lake Mead Recreation Area providing reservoir outreach about aquatic invasive species as well as providing rare and noxious plant management.

"The Auburn NRT Climate Resilience Program is an amazing opportunity to meet peers who have similar interests with myself who I hope become a foundation for my future network."

Check out Ben's 3min Research Video