Mountain Scholar

Mountain Scholar is an open access repository service that collects, preserves, and provides access to digitized library collections and other scholarly and creative works from Colorado State University and the University Press of Colorado. It also serves as a dark archive for the Open Textbook Library.

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Colorado State University, Fort Collins 28552
Explore the Colorado State University community’s scholarly output as well as items from the University at large and the CSU Libraries.
Open Textbook Library Archive 25
A limited number of titles are available here. To see all OTL titles, please visit the Open Textbook Library at https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks. Only Open Textbook Library staff have access to all OTL Archive titles held in Mountain Scholar.
University Press of Colorado 1088
Access is limited to University Press of Colorado members. Non-members: to purchase books, please visit https://upcolorado.com/.

Recent Submissions

Access status: Embargo ,
Moon Mining: Imperialism's Next Frontier or Democratic Cooperation?
(2026) Weeks, Nefratiri, author; Raynolds, Laura T., advisor; Mao, KuoRay, committee member; Luna, Jessie, committee member; Stevis, Dimitris, committee member
This dissertation undertakes a qualitative political economy case study using historical process tracing to construct a long durée approach to contemporary governance for the Moon and its resources. The past two decades have seen both increased weaponization of space as well as the rise of the commercialization of space resources, which are serious threats to the Moon’s pristine environment and to the “peaceful use” of space for the “benefit of all mankind” as established in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. In 2020, the US advanced the Artemis Accords asserting the private ownership of the Moon’s resources while also instituting the US Space Force that same year. Increasing hegemonic competition between the US, China, and Russia raises questions on how to protect the commons from hegemonic struggle, war, and imperialist extractive practices. Thus, this study asks: What are the possibilities for global democracy for the Moon and its resources? How does governance of the Moon and its resources operate? Who participates in Moon governance? The study applies Weber’s ideal types to discover processes of democracy and imperialism working in Moon governance. The main findings are the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the 1979 Moon Agreement were designed to prevent globalized imperialism and colonial logics in space and thus provide natural bridges to global democracy for the Moon.
Access status: Open Access ,
Studies on Interspecies Interactions driven by Microbial Invasion that Shape the Stability and Function of Plant Associated Microbiomes
(2026) Choi, Jeongyun, author; Leach, Jan E., advisor; Trivedi, Pankaj, committee member; Gupta, Goutam, committee member; Chan, Siu Hung Joshua, committee member
Despite increasing recognition of the importance of plant microbiomes in agricultural systems, the mechanisms through which microbial invasions and interspecies interactions influence microbiome stability and functional outputs remain poorly understood. This dissertation investigates how microbial invasions, pathogen suppression, and interbacterial interactions shape microbial community dynamics and functions in plant.Chapters 2–4 collectively examine how microbial invasion, pathogen suppression, and interbacterial interactions contribute to microbiome stability and function. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on pathogen invasion and subsequent suppression, demonstrating how targeted antimicrobial strategies can not only reduce pathogen titre but also influence microbiome structure and recovery in plant-associated systems. In contrast, Chapter 4 shifts to a controlled synthetic community to dissect how interbacterial interactions drive functional outcomes, independent of pathogen presence. Chapter 2 evaluates the efficacy of a host-derived chimeric antimicrobial peptide (UGK17) in suppressing Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, while assessing its impact on the citrus phyllosphere microbiome. This chapter suggests that targeted antimicrobial strategies can control plant pathogens while minimizing unintended disruption of beneficial microbiota. Chapter 3 further investigates the ecological consequences of pathogen suppression in the field by examining the elimination of Xylella fastidiosa in grapevine leaves using the chimeric antimicrobial peptide UGK17. This chapter highlights that selective pathogen suppression can facilitate microbiome restoration. Chapter 4 explores how microbial interactions influence functional outputs within microbial communities using a synthetic bacterial community composed of xylanase producing bacteria. This chapter suggests that interbacterial interactions shift in response to neighboring species and that community complexity can contribute to more stable functional outcomes. Together, these studies provide new insights into how microbial invasions and interspecies interactions shape microbiome stability and function. Understanding these processes will facilitate the development of microbiome-based strategies to improve plant health, enhance crop productivity, and promote resilient agricultural ecosystems.
Access status: Open Access ,
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE COMBUSTION PROCESS OF LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS AND DIMETHYL ETHER BLENDS FOR USE IN SPARK IGNITED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
(2026) Churchill, Reece, author; Windom, Bret, advisor; Olsen, Daniel, committee member; Wise, Dan, committee member; Marchese, Anthony, committee member; Daily, Jeremy, committee member
To meet the increasing demand for carbon intensity reduction in the heavy-duty transportation sector, this dissertation investigates the development of high-efficiency combustion strategies utilizing both liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and renewable dimethyl ether (rDME). LPG serves as a viable alternative fuel primarily due to its ability to reduce emissions and its favorable physical and chemical properties, which allow for efficient transport and storage in a liquid state at moderate pressures. The research begins by establishing a numerical foundation for baseline LPG combustion, utilizing an extreme flash KH-RT spray model coupled with the ALPINE 153 chemical kinetic mechanism. This framework was validated against experimental High Pressure Spray Chamber (HPSC) data using Schlieren and Mie-scattering imaging techniques to ensure the phase change and flash-boiling plume expansion of LPG were resolved before moving to engine scale simulations. With the spray physics validated, a numerical investigation into mixture formation for pure LPG was conducted to characterize the fluid dynamic drivers of stable Direct Injection (DI) operation compared to Port Fuel Injection (PFI) benchmarks. These 3D CFD studies identified that Direct Injection LPG operation is exclusively sensitive to Start of Injection (SOI) timing due to in-cylinder charge cooling and turbulent decay. Specifically, the work identified that a late-cycle recovery of Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) at SOI 120° bTDC provides the necessary aerodynamic shear to overcome reduced residence times, identifying the piston-top velocity profile as a potential universal design parameter for stable DI operation across varying compression ratios. To further reduce the carbon intensity of LPG operation, this work explores the potential of blending LPG with more reactive, renewably produced fuels such as DME. The inherently high MON and RON of LPG allow it to be utilized in higher compression ratio engines due to its strong resistance to autoignition compared to traditional petroleum fuels. This characteristic places LPG in a unique position where it can be blended with highly reactive fuels while maintaining favorable and controllable combustion. Utilizing rDME blends leverages LPG’s favorable combustion properties to reduce carbon intensity on two fronts, through tailpipe emissions and cleaner fuel production. To understand the properties of these novel LPG/DME blends, octane characterization was experimentally determined using a modified Cooperative Fuels Research (CFR) engine. This testing identified a non-linear promoting effect of rDME on autoignition and established a 30% DME blend as a viable 89-octane gasoline surrogate. Additionally, high-speed Schlieren spray imaging confirmed that rDME addition up to 30% does not fundamentally alter macroscopic spray morphology, ensuring compatibility with existing LPG hardware. The final phase of the work involved experimental testing on a heavy-duty single-cylinder Cummins X15 engine and the development of the ALPINE-DME 158 chemical kinetic mechanism. The mechanism was rigorously validated across 0D ignition delay times and 1D laminar flame speeds before being implemented in a 3D CONVERGE environment to predict engine performance of LPG/DME blends. Experimental results demonstrated a significant departure from natural gas performance limits, achieving a peak brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of 41.1% at low loads and 42.9% BTE at high load conditions by leveraging an increase of end gas autoignition (EGAI). The ALPINE-DME 158 mechanism successfully captured the experimental heat release rates and autoignition events by resolving radical bottlenecks specifically premature HO2 and H2O2 accumulation observed in legacy chemical kinetic models. Collectively, this work provides a validated, predictive roadmap for leveraging high-reactivity oxygenated fuels to narrow the efficiency gap between spark-ignited and diesel heavy-duty architectures.
Access status: Embargo ,
BIASED BY BINARIES: A COMPLEX EVALUATION OF QUEER & TRANS WORKFORCE CLIMATE ASSESSMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
(2026) Fahnders, Nicholas, author; Dockendorff, Kari, advisor; Lange, Alex, committee member; Barone, Ryan, committee member; Ash, Brittanie, committee member
This robust quantitative study examined how U.S. higher education institutions measured and reported campus climate for staff, with particular attention to constructs relevant to queer and trans higher education professionals (QTEHPs). Grounded in the Transformational Tapestry Model (Rankin & Reason, 2008) and informed by poststructural perspectives on institutional knowledge production, the study analyzed publicly available staff climate survey reports (N = 116) using an explanatory sequential design. A rubric was developed to evaluate four domains of survey design—contextual grounding, identity representation, measurement, and reporting and transparency—each scored on a 0–2 scale to accommodate variation in survey structure and reporting practices. A similar rubric was designed to account for QTHEP experiences with gender identity expressions, sex bias, and homophobia. Descriptive findings indicated that institutions most consistently demonstrated strengths in contextual grounding and measurement, while identity representation and reporting and transparency were less consistently present or were operationalized in limited ways. Inferential analyses, including analysis of variance and regression modeling, revealed statistically significant but modest differences across institutional types. Research-intensive institutions and system offices generally demonstrated higher levels of measurement inclusion for gender identity, sex-based bias, and homophobia, whereas community colleges consistently reflected lower predicted scores. However, differences remained constrained within the limited range of the composite measure, suggesting broadly patterned but uneven approaches to climate survey design across institutional contexts. Findings were interpreted by positioning climate surveys as institutional artifacts that structure what can be known, measured, and reported about campus climate. This study contributes to the literature by providing a systematic framework for evaluating climate survey design and by identifying persistent gaps in identity representation and reporting practices. Implications for research, theory, and practice emphasize the need for more transparent, expansive, and critically informed approaches to institutional climate assessment.
Access status: Embargo ,
CONNECTING PROTEIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION FROM CLASSROOM TO CHROMATIN: EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS AND SPN1-DEPENDENT REGULATION OF QUIESCENCE AND CELLULAR AGING
(2026) Owusu, Bridget, author; Stargell, Laurie A., advisor; Hansen, Jeffrey C., committee member; Laybourn, Paul, committee member; Balgopal, Meena, committee member; Sholders, Aaron, committee member; Swygert, Sarah, committee member
Understanding how structure gives rise to function is a unifying principle in both biology and biochemistry. Yet this relationship presents challenges across multiple scales, from student learning in the classroom to chromatin regulation in living cells. This dissertation bridges educational research and molecular biology to examine how structure–function relationships are constructed, interpreted, and regulated. It connects cognition to chromatin.At the instructional level, this work examined how undergraduate students construct and revise their understanding of protein structure and function. Although “structure determines function” is a foundational concept in biochemistry, students frequently struggle to visualize proteins as dynamic three-dimensional molecules and to connect structural features to biological roles. Through qualitative analysis of survey responses collected across a semester long non majors biochemistry course, existing classifications of protein misconceptions were expanded, and three newly characterized categories were identified: misconceptions about protein stability based on orientation, misconceptions about inherent protein dynamics, and misconceptions about the relationship between structure and function. These misconceptions were strongly associated with challenges in visuospatial reasoning. Despite active learning interventions, most students demonstrated limited conceptual progression over time. At the molecular level, cellular quiescence is a conserved survival strategy that supports longevity. However, how distinct quiescent states influence lifespan remains incompletely understood. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system, this study investigated the coordinated phenotypes associated with expression of the Spn1141-305 mutant. Expression of Spn1141-305 was associated with extended chronological lifespan relative to full length Spn1, indicating a longevity phenotype during quiescence. In addition to increased lifespan, Spn1141-305 cells exhibited a distinct quiescent chromatin architecture. Approximately thirty percent formed incompletely separated mother–daughter assemblies that were observed exclusively in quiescent Spn1141-305 populations. Functional analysis further revealed enhanced exit from quiescence in Spn1141-305 cells compared to wild type.Together, these findings suggest that Spn1141-305 defines a distinct and reversible quiescent state. Structure shapes survival. Across both domains of inquiry, structure–function reasoning emerges as both a molecular mechanism and a cognitive challenge. By integrating insights from science education research with mechanistic studies of chromatin regulation, this dissertation underscores the central role of structural reasoning in advancing scientific discovery and scientific learning.