Speakers

Libby Rittenberg is Professor Emerita of Economics at Colorado College. She received her B.A. In Economics-mathematics and Spanish from Simmons College in 1973, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Rutgers in 1978 and1980, respectively.

Prior to joining the faculty at Colorado College in 1989, she taught at Lafayette College and at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Management. She served as a Fulbright Scholar in Istanbul, Turkiye in the mid-1980s and worked as a research economist at Mathematica, Inc. in Princeton, New Jersey in the late 1970s.

She specialized in the internationally oriented areas of economics, with numerous articles in journals and books on comparative and development economics and a particular emphasis on the Turkish economy.  Edited book titles include The Political Economy of Turkey in the Post-Soviet Era: Going West and Looking East? and The Economic Transformation of Eastern Europe: Views from Within. From 2000 to 2020, she co-authored various editions of a college-level introductory economics textbook (first by Worth Publishers and more recently by Flatworld Knowledge) with UCCS Professor Emeritus Timothy Tregarthen. The textbook continues to be published by Flatworld Knowledge with a new, and younger, author.

Dr. Neena Grover has taught Biochemistry at Colorado College for 26 years. She has
trained more than 200 students in her research lab and published widely with them,
including the book "Fundamentals of RNA Structure and Function" (Springer-Nature, 2022)
in which more than 20 undergraduate students are co-authors.
Dr. Grover work has been recognized through awards such as the 2019 Midstates
Consortium’s Janet Anderson Award for Excellence in Research and Teaching, the 2025

William C. Rose Award for Excellence in Biochemistry Education, and multiple student-
nominated honors, including the Teacher of the Year award in 2025.

She was a founding member of the national undergraduate science networks of ASBMB
and has organized major conferences, secured NSF grants, and maintains collaborations
in the United States, Europe, and North Africa. Her work focuses on understanding RNA
and DNA structures, their interactions with ions, and their stability. She serves as an editor
for CourseSource and as a member of the editorial board of Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology Education.

Being Human in the Era of Gene Editing

Gene editing has moved from science fiction into modern medicine, with CRISPR-Cas
systems offering unprecedented possibilities for treating and potentially preventing
disease while raising profound scientific and ethical questions. From the controversial
creation of the first “CRISPR babies,” to new treatment for sickle cell disease, the
technology demonstrates both remarkable therapeutic potential and significant risks. As
gene editing becomes more accessible, including through animal experiments outside
traditional research settings, concerns about unintended genetic changes, safety, cost,
unequal access, and the possibility of altering future generations are growing.
Ultimately, CRISPR forces us to consider not only what gene editing can accomplish,
but what it should accomplish—and who should decide how far we should go in biology.

Daniel Price, Artistic Director, ChoralSong of Colorado Springs

Daniel Price is an accomplished and award-winning conductor with a Doctorate in Choral Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. He began his 25-year career in the Air Force as the conductor of The United States Air Force Singing Sergeants, a 24-voice professional choir based in Washington, D.C.  In addition to leading numerous organizations of up to 60 professional musicians with budgets in excess of $1M to present more than 500 performances a year, he was honored by being appointed Air Force Chief of Music in 2011. During his career he led numerous performances in the White House and the Naval Observatory for 5 Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States, a command performance for King Rama IX of Thailand, and numerous Independence Day performances at the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.  After commanding The USAF Academy Band in Colorado Springs for 6 years he became co-founder and Artistic Director of ChoralSong of Colorado Springs in 2023.

 

Program: Building Community Through Music

Music surrounds us so completely we hardly realize it’s there. But can you imagine watching a movie with no music? Sitting through a church service without music? Attending a professional sporting event with no pre-game, national anthem, or half-time show?  Music surrounds us first and foremost because we enjoy it. But music also surrounds us because we’re affected by it—and this should cause us to stop and think carefully about what’s happening. Human cultures throughout history have crafted and used music in a wide range of ways. Why, and to what end? How should we be thinking about music as community leaders? How can organizations like ChoralSong of Colorado Springs strengthen our city’s sense of community?

https://slopestohope.com/

Jackie Becker is the founder of Woven Compass, bringing 10 years of experience in luxury travel and seven years living abroad to every itinerary she designs. Her journey began in 2013 in Peru through a Rotary Ambassadorial appointment, and she has since help travelers reach destinations like Antarctica, Patagonia, the Taj Mahal, the Acropolis, the Pyramids, and beyond. Along the way, she's seen firsthand how travel does more than expand a person's map: it deepens empathy, and turns travelers into more curious, service-oriented citizens of the world. Jackie specializes in crafting trips that feel effortless yet awe-inspiring: journeys built around connection to people, landscapes, and stories.