Hello! Welcome to my professional website. My name is Ben J. Rivera. I am a plant ecologist and current Ph.D. Student in the Magney Lab at UC Davis. Originally, I am from Oregon. I did my undergraduate degree at Kalamazoo College where I studied an imperiled dune thistle under the guidance of Dr. Binney Girdler (Publication). Drs. Mike Jenkins and Rick Meilan guided me in the completion of my Master’s degree at Purdue University where I studied how an archetypal invasive shrub invades new ecosystems, how to remove it more with less herbicide (Publication), and what happens once it is removed (Full Thesis - Presentation). Here at UC Davis, I study coastal dune plant community assembly and work with a tribal land trust on indigenous knowledge, ethnobotany, and restoration. Please reach out with any questions or ideas!