Jesse grew up just outside of Philadelphia, PA. He has since lived in Saratoga Springs, NY; the Roaring Fork Valley, CO; Austin, TX.; and, most recently, Macon, GA. Outside work, Jesse is a passionate skier, backpacker, and aspiring climber.
Dr. Jesse Ritner is a Assistant Professor of History at Georgia College and State University.
Dr. Ritner is currently writing a book titled Snowguns: How Snowmaking, Carbon Emissions, and Cheap Labor Built the U.S. Ski Industry. The book examines the central role of climate adaptation in the development of the ski industry. It then traverses themes of race, class, sex, gender, technology, environmental politics, and justice to better understand how skiing, ski communities, and ski economies have evolved on the back of climate adaptation.
Dr. Ritner has written for both academic and non-academic audiences. He is involved in a number of organizations, including being a member of the Science Alliance with Protect Our Winters and an Editor at Network in Canadian History and Environment. He recently won the 2023 Joel Tarr Award for his article, “White Gold: Snowmaking, Resort Growth, and Skier Experience in the U.S. East, 1945–1971.” In addition to the book project, he is currently working on articles on topics including Native American History, Mexican American History, Avalanches, and Settler Colonialism.
Jesse Ritner 