Jesse Ritner is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas, Austin. His dissertation, "Making Snow: Climate, Technology, and the U.S. Ski Industry" examines how the ski industry relied on climate-adaptive technology to grow into a $20 billion industry. Jesse also writes historically-informed commentary about the outdoor world. He is a member of the Science Alliance at Protect Our Winters, a former ski instructor at Snowmass, and an avid skier.