Dr. Shannon Davies Mancus (moderator) is an Associate Teaching Professor and Associate Department Head  in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Department at the Colorado School of Mines. She holds a B.A. in musical theater from Wagner College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in American Studies from George Washington University. In her first career, Dr. Mancus has performed in benefit concerts on Broadway, sang jingles for Altoids, and house managed off-Broadway shows. While she was in graduate school, she brought together her burgeoning research interest in interactive narratives with her performance background by devising and performing theatre with Dog & Pony DC. She served as the touring director for their off-Broadway run of Beertown as well as their performance and workshop at the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab in 2014. Her research brings together environmental communication and performance studies, and she also writes frequently about visual culture and the role of genre in media and politics. Her work has been published in The Cambridge History of Science Fiction and The Bloomsbury Handbook of 21st Century Theory, and in the journals Performing Ethos and Gothic Natures. Nationally, she serves as the Digital Liaison for the Environment and Culture Caucus of the American Studies Association. At Mines, she is the coordinator of the Nature and Human Values program, and faculty advisor for Mines Little Theater, Ballroom Dance, and Circle K.  Dr. Mancus was also a 2021-2022 DI&A fellow, and a co-recipient of a Faculty Senate Signature Experience Award that she and Dr. Joseph Horan used to launch the Environmental Leadership Lab and Environmental Scholars Program. She was named outstanding faculty member for the 2020-2021 academic year for the HASS department.

John Matocha (panelist) is a Software Engineer at Tyler Technologies. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Computer Science from the Colorado School of Mines. After a brief pursuit of a career in professional athletics, he discovered a deep passion for software engineering and for building connections across the corporate world. In his 1.5 years at Tyler, John has been actively involved in recruiting efforts, the internship program, and is currently working to launch a scholarship initiative for local high school students.

Jackie Simens Gant (panelist) is the CEO of Bond Consulting Services, a Microsoft Solutions Partner delivering CRM, ERP, and cloud technology solutions to small and mid-market businesses. With over a decade of experience in enterprise technology, change management, and leadership within the Microsoft ecosystem, Jackie has led global delivery teams, built new service lines, and advised clients through major digital transformation efforts. She was the founding president of SWiM during her time at the Colorado School of Mines (BS/MS in Applied Mathematics) and has continued to advocate for the inclusion of women in technology and business throughout her career. While at Hitachi Solutions, she launched Konsei, a global employee resource group focused on empowering women in tech—a community that still thrives today. Jackie has spent the past 10 years mentoring women and underrepresented groups in consulting and is passionate about making the unseen paths to success more visible for others navigating careers in STEM.

C. Josh Ramey (panelist) is a molecular biologist and Teaching Professor at Colorado School of Mines, where he focuses on synthetic biology, genetic engineering, and advancing undergraduate biology education. He has been a faculty member at Mines since 2013. He grew up in New Mexico and earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, later continuing as a postdoctoral fellow studying DNA replication and cell-cycle regulation. Before moving into teaching, he worked in industry with OPX Biotechnologies, where he engineered E. coli to produce a precursor to acrylic acid. At Mines, he had the privilege of serving as the founding director of the Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering undergraduate program. He is a strong ally and advocate for inclusivity in STEM, committed to making space for students from all backgrounds to thrive. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, visibility and belonging are central values he brings into both his teaching and mentorship.

Melanie Marquardt Westergaard ‘87 (panelist) is President of the Mines Alumni Board of Directors and Engagement Committee, Owner of Wild Earth Exploration and Director of Pulse Seismic Inc. She has over 35 years of global experience in upstream oil and gas value chain. She previously served as Vice President Subsurface at Denali Energy, LLC, as Consulting Geophysicist at SM Energy as Asset Manager and Technical Development Lead, Encana as Senior Geophysical Advisor, Forest Oil and as Exploration Manager and Field Development manager, BP/ARCO. She has served as the Colorado chapter treasurer of the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists, as president of the Denver and Alaska Geophysical Societies, and advisory board member of the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference. She received her BS in Geophysical Engineering at Mines in 1987, and completed the Executive Development Program at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management in 2003. Her volunteer activities at Mines include volunteering on the Mines Alumni Board since 2016 and serving on various scholarship committees such as Sister to Sister. She formerly served as chair of the Women of Mines Interest Group, volunteered with admissions and the Alumni Student Transition Committee, served on the Mines Editorial Board, was an advisor for Diversity Inclusion & Access, and a Senior Design Judge. Her other awards and service to Mines include: Volunteer of the Year 2021, Heritage Society, Mines@150 Visionaries, Mines Century Society, and President’s Council.