Ben Carlson is an accelerated MPA student, currently finishing his senior year as an undergraduate Environmental Studies major at UVM. He is from the small town of Stamford, VT and came to UVM for the school's strong environmental program. Ben enrolled in the MPA program to build a strong policy background on environmental issues. He plans to focus on environmental policy, with a particular interest in the influence of media.

His particular interest is in the use of communication strategies in relation to effective policymaking. Ben has taken many undergraduate media classes at UVM, and hopes to continue to expand his knowledge of how to build public support for environmental policy.