Ben Taft

Data Impact Manager

Contact Ben

ben.taft@career2cradle.org

phone: (262) 204-7658

 

WHAT DO YOU DO AT HIGHER EXPECTATIONS?

I collect, organize, and present data about our community. This helps Higher Expectations’ goal of improving educational outcomes and economic mobility by identifying areas where improvement is needed and areas where we can celebrate progress.

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?

I have a Ph.D. in zoology. My research focused on how birds learn to sing, and whether the quality of that learning influenced their success in finding mates and rearing offspring. I learned a lot about statistics and messy data doing that work, and those skills have served me well as a stats teacher at Carthage and stats consultant.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO IN RACINE COUNTY?

Quality time with my wife and kids is always rewarding. There are so many places in Racine to be together as a family: the beach, the Zoo, our West Racine neighborhood, and the many walking, biking and hiking trails.

WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

My favorite color is blue, so I wanted to be a police officer. As I grew older, I wanted to become a biology professor.

WHAT MAKES YOU EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THE HIGHER EXPECTATIONS TEAM?

The opportunity to make an impact in the community that I live in and love. I’d like to think that I have helped lift up some folks as I have taught statistics, but this job should really amplify that.

WHAT’S ONE THING YOU LOVE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WORK?

I sing tenor with the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin.

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