Ben Greaves

VOLUNTEER

Ben Greaves (he/him) is an Aerospace Engineering PhD student at the University of Colorado Boulder with a focus in Bioastronautics and is also pursuing the graduate certificate in Global Engineering. His current research focuses on a range of space life support technologies including air revitalization, thermal control, and space agriculture. Previously, Ben attended the University of Michigan where he received a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering, a minor in Astrophysics, and a M.Eng. in Space Engineering.

Ben’s career has focused on food production in resource-strained environments. This began at NASA Kennedy Space Center and NASA Langley Research Center where he designed technologies for off-Earth food production as well as Martian habitat designs. After, Ben worked as a U.S. Peace Corps agricultural volunteer in The Gambia developing sustainable agroforestry and permaculture practices. Ben then spent two years in Abu Dhabi, UAE, engineering off-Earth agricultural systems and exploring their applications for arid terrestrial environments. He is particularly interested in exploring technologies and systems for more efficient agriculture, closed environmental control, and climate change resiliency.

In his free time, Ben loves exploring the Rocky Mountains, volunteering at the All Roads Boulder shelter, and exercising!