Ben McFarland teaches biochemistry and chemistry at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle WA. He grew up near Kennedy Space Center and wanted to be a paleontologist in the second grade. He received a dual B.S. in Chemistry and Technical Writing from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Biomolecular Structure and Design from the University of Washington. His research uses the rules of chemistry to redesign immune system proteins. He lives near Seattle with his wife Laurie and his four boys.