BENJAMIN FRANTA is a PhD student at Harvard University's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).  As a member of the Mazur Research Group, he uses ultrafast pulsed lasers to modify the optoelectronic properties of semiconductors for photovoltaic applications.

Originally from Iowa, Ben studied physics and mathematics at Coe College before studying archaeological science on a Clarendon Scholarship at the University of Oxford.  He returned to the US to study applied physics at Harvard in 2009, though he maintains an active interest in archaeology, paleoclimate, and paleoenvironment.

Ben's current focus is on next-generation photovoltaics, and he is a member of the Harvard Graduate Consortium on Energy and Environment.  In addition to laboratory work, he has field experience in both Iceland and Greece.