Science Department Staff
Ben Mack - Ben has been teaching at Manitou Springs High School since 2003. Ben has an undergraduate degree in Biology with an emphasis in molecular genetics from CSU-Pueblo, and a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from UCCS. Ben is originally from Anchorage Alaska where he developed a great appreciation for the outdoors and the science of life. Ben brings lab experience to MSHS as part of a published research team investigating “molecular switches” in the genomes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ben currently teaches Biology I, Biology I honors and AP Biology. In his free time, Ben enjoys exploring the outdoors and traveling the world with his wife and two daughters.
Alicia Mauer
I have
been teaching high school science in the Pikes Peak region for 15 years.
I graduated from Manitou Springs High School in 2002! I went to
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs for undergraduate and
graduate school. I also attended the University of Northern Colorado for
additional graduate work. I'm passionate about life science,
chemistry, and environmental science in particular. I have taught AP
Environmental, Chemistry, Biology, and Anatomy and Physiology over the
time I have been in education. I view science education as a platform
to build scientific literacy and environmental stewardship into
communities. I 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 this year.
Outside of my teaching career I have a husband and two children and we
have lived in Woodland Park since 2009. I enjoy backpacking, running,
reading, cooking, art, and biking.
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 and their two dogs Circus and Minion.
Julia Jackson - Julia Jackson teaches Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, and Physical Science 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. 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, doing yoga, spending time with her family and her dog, Tucker, and being as close to the mountains as possible.
Mike Talbott - Mike joined Manitou Springs High School in 2014 after retiring from the US Army after 30 years of service. He majored in Electrical Engineering at the US Military Academy at West Point, and later received his Masters in Systems Engineering at Case Western Reserve University and Masters in Strategic Leadership at the US War College. Mike and his wife Navarre were married in 1980 and have three children and five grandchildren. He enjoys baseball, hiking and traveling.
See the Curriculum Handbook for Science courses we offer