Science

The Manitou Springs High School Science Department provides students with hands-on opportunities to explore and embrace the physical, environmental and biological sciences through field trips, lab experiments and inquiry based learning. Courses offered: Integrated Science, Biology, Honors Biology, Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, Environmental and AP Environmental Science, Anatomy & Physiology, AP Biology, AP Chemistry and AP Physics.
Science Department Staff

Alicia Mauer:
Prior to joining MSHS in 2023, Alicia had been teaching high school science in the Pikes Peak region for 15 years. Alicia graduated from Manitou Springs High School in 2002! She went to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs for undergraduate and graduate school. She also attended the University of Northern Colorado for additional graduate work. Alicia is passionate about life science, chemistry, and environmental science in particular. She has experience teaching AP Environmental, Chemistry, Biology, and Anatomy and Physiology. Alicia views science education as a platform to build scientific literacy and environmental stewardship into communities. She coached a competitive environmental science team that won the State Envirothon Competition in 2023 and went on to the North American Competition in New Brunswick, Canada in July of the same year. Outside of her teaching career, Alicia has a husband and two children and they have lived in Woodland Park since 2009. She enjoys backpacking, running, reading, cooking, art, and biking.

Julia Jackson: Julia teaches Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, and AP Chemistry at Manitou Springs High School. She joined the Mustang family in January of 2019 after graduating from UCCS with her undergraduate degree in Chemistry - Secondary Education. What she appreciates most about the sciences is the opportunity they provide for all learners to utilize and develop critical thinking skills. She is passionate about chemistry because it provides students with a deeper understanding of why the world works the way it does at a molecular level. Ms. Jackson has been in Colorado Springs since 2010, after moving here with her family from Fargo, North Dakota. In her free time she enjoys reading, traveling, cooking and spending time with her family and her dog, Tucker.

Andrew Slama: Andrew joined the Manitou Science department in 2017. He majored in history & pre-medicine at Montana State University before finishing his masters at the Chicago Medical School in Biomedical Science. He enjoys exploring Colorado and the world with his wife Summer, their daughter June and their dog Circus.

Nate Owen: Nate joined Manitou Springs High School as a teacher in the math department in 2024, bringing with him thirteen years of teaching experience. Nate also teaches AP Physics for the science department. He has most recently graduated with his Masters in Mathematics from UNC-Greeley with previously earning a Masters in Secondary Education and a BA double major in mathematics and music.

Recently, Nate was recognized by the US Navy as an outstanding educator through the Key Influencer program and got to fly with the Blue Angels "Fat Albert" crew. Additionally, Nate has done the AP Reading for AP Calculus for the past five years and has worked with College Board to create AP Daily videos for the new ‘24-’25 AP Physics realignment. In his spare time, he enjoys board games, hiking, rock climbing, and spending time with his wife and four kids. Nate is passionate about forging relationships with students that build a sense of confidence and enable them to grow as learners.

Nate is looking forward to a great year in building a thinking classroom that allows students to be curious, creative, and collaborative.

See the Curriculum Handbook for Science courses we offer