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 & State University.
Dr. Jesse Ritner specializes in U.S. History, Environmental History, and the History of the U.S. West in the twentieth and Twenty-first centuries.
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.
He is also the lead practitioner for the Outdoor Recreation Workers Oral History Project, which he is conducting in conjunction with the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies.
Dr. Ritner has written for both academic and non-academic audiences. He is involved in a number of organizations, including serving as a member of the Science Alliance with Protect Our Winters and as 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 Native American History, Mexican American History, Avalanches, and Settler Colonialism.
Jesse Ritner 