25 Facts About Merav Ben-David

Merav Ben-David is an Israeli-American ecologist, zoologist, and politician who is the chair of the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming.

Merav Ben-David was the Democratic nominee in the 2020 United States Senate election in Wyoming, losing to former Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis in the general election.

Merav Ben-David ran for state representative from Wyoming's 46th District in 2022.

Merav Ben-David spent two years in the Israeli Air Force in fulfillment of the country's compulsory military service.

Merav Ben-David earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1984, and a Master of Science in 1988 from Tel Aviv University.

Merav Ben-David spent five years as a safari tour guide in Kenya, before moving to Alaska, where she studied wildlife management.

Merav Ben-David earned her PhD from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1996.

Merav Ben-David emigrated from Israel to the United States due to worsening job prospects in Israel in the early 1990s as a result of the 1990s post-Soviet aliyah.

Merav Ben-David was fascinated by local marine ecosystems, which included otters, mink, marten, polar bears, and the salmon they fed on.

In 2000, Merav Ben-David became an associate professor at the University of Wyoming.

Merav Ben-David has served as the editor-in-chief of Wildlife Monographs, succeeding Eric Hellgren in 2017.

Merav Ben-David has published more than 110 scientific papers that analyze the impact of climate change, invasive species, logging and pollution on animals, often using innovative research techniques.

Merav Ben-David has helped to study the effects of the Exxon and BP spills in terms of both immediate and long-term effects.

Merav Ben-David's work was included in the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Project Final Report, which assessed damage and potential for remediation, and was a basis for fining Exxon and BP after their respective oil spills of 1989 and 2010.

Merav Ben-David has focused deeply on the river otter, examining it in its role as a sentinel species and using it as a model for predicting effects of pollutants on the rarer and more difficult to study sea otter.

Merav Ben-David has carried out work with Alaskan otters for over 30 years.

Merav Ben-David began studying the impact of human activity and climate change on polar bears in 2001.

Merav Ben-David has worked for nearly 20 years with Steven Amstrup to study polar bear ecology in the Beaufort Sea and other areas.

Merav Ben-David's work has revealed low populations of otters in the New Fork River, compared to areas nearby.

Merav Ben-David has received a variety of awards for her work including the Barrett-Hamilton distinguished ecologist award from the University of Manitoba in 2012 and the Excellence in Wildlife Education award from The Wildlife Society in 2016.

Merav Ben-David was selected as a Wildlife Fellow of the Wildlife Society in 2017.

Merav Ben-David has resided in Laramie, Wyoming, since 2000, and was naturalized as a United States citizen in 2009.

Merav Ben-David announced her candidacy for the 2020 US Senate election at the 2020 Wyoming Women's March in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on 18 January 2020.

Merav Ben-David's platform centered on 'future-proofing' Wyoming's economy through diversification, including public investments in reclaiming old mines, capping oil and gas wells, and building wildlife crossings.

Merav Ben-David was the Democratic nominee for state representative from Wyoming's 46th District in 2022, running against Republican incumbent Ocean Andrew.