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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- Explore the Colorado State University community’s scholarly output as well as items from the University at large and the CSU Libraries.
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- Access is limited to University Press of Colorado members. Non-members: to purchase books, please visit https://upcolorado.com/.
Recent Submissions
Struggling with ghosting? Why volunteers and donors do it, how to rekindle nonprofit engagement
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025-05-15) Ferris, Adelle, author; Seabolt, Logan, advisor; Falcon, Gilbert, committee member
Non-profit organizations actively address societal challenges and improve lives. However, sustaining volunteer and donor recruitment and retention remains challenging. This thesis explores the complications that arise in acquiring and engaging volunteers and donors long-term, specifically focusing on the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Chapter at Colorado State University (CSU), and the broader organization of NMDP. The analysis examines psychological motivators, such as Self Determination Theory, which drive individuals to perform altruistic acts. This thesis highlights constraints that prevent individuals from volunteering or donating – barriers extending beyond recruitment. These include a lack of education, structural deficiencies, institutional mistrust, cultural hesitancy, and systematic limitations within the healthcare sector. Additionally, the examination investigates the role of the medical industry, particularly how burnout affects engagement. Recognizing these issues is the first step toward proposing effective solutions.||People naturally want to help others when given the capability and opportunity. Adjustments must occur to correct limitations individuals currently face during onboarding and the conversation process. Proposed solutions include effective communication, social media engagement, and psychology-backed techniques such as the Door-in-the-Face and Foot-in-the-Door strategies to drive participation. Accentuating community interaction through proper training and information fosters confidence and promotes workplace sustainability. Evaluating the global significance associated with donor recruitment and retention provides insights beyond the scope of NMDP. This thesis offers a framework for various non-profit organizations and companies seeking to improve their own recruitment and retention efforts. Altruism alone will not change the world, but a system empowering it can – and will.
The development and implementation of agrivoltaic systems internationally
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Collignon, Anne, C., author; Scott, Ryan, advisor; Olofsson, Kristin, committee member
Agrivoltaics was first developed in the 1980s and first began being used around 2004 with the purpose of combining agricultural activity and solar energy generation. Between 2015 and 2024, the world witnessed an increase in the development of renewable energy sources like solar energy, as well as an increase in the need to solve land use disputes, preserve the health and soil quality of thousands of acres of land, diversify revenue sources, and in some cases increase crop yields and ecological benefits to land within agriculture (Ballard et al., 2023). Agrivoltaics has been studied extensively in terms of technical aspects, and is helpful for increased crop yield, reduced water evaporation and soil preservation, lower temperatures, diversified income and off-set prosecution costs. The purpose of this study is to analyze agrivoltaic development within specific countries of the world and identify factors related to governmental and structural aspects that affect implementation. In order to do this, I analyzed agriculture data as well as renewable energy and solar energy development, overlaying them and looking for areas where there is both high crop productivity and high solar energy generation. Within this analysis, three countries were chosen as case studies for analysis: Germany, Thailand, and Chile. Research was done on government and structural policy to explain why and how agricultural and solar development occurred, and how agrivoltaics has or has not developed as another form of renewable energy. Eleven factors affecting implementation of agrivoltaics were identified, including factors relating to investment and government financial support, electricity generation and forms of renewable energy, and various aspects of agricultural structure and climate change effects. Many of the factors affecting these countries and worldwide vary according to governmental structure and geographic and regional location, and there is still much to be studied and understood about the benefits and viability of implementation of agrivoltaics.
Appendix A
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025-05) Shaw, Sarah G., author
Appendix A is part of the paper entitled "Understanding Organizational Factors in the Aerospace Industry's Transition to Model-Based Systems Engineering," submitted for publication to the INCOSE "Journal of Systems Engineering," May, 2025.
Living at baseline: a letter of navigation and reflection on the college mental health journey
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Kim, Ella, author; Zee, Stephanie, advisor
Rising rates of psychological distress among college students highlight the urgent need to address mental health on campuses. Navigating the transition to university life introduces a unique mix of academic pressures, shifting support systems, and newfound independence, all of which shape student well-being. Despite increased awareness, significant barriers persist, including stigma, logistical obstacles, financial constraints, and cultural influences, often preventing students from seeking help. Evidence-based strategies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness practices, and dialectical behavior therapy, offer practical tools for managing stress and building resilience. By normalizing mental health conversations and expanding access to care, institutions and students together can create pathways toward resilience, growth, and holistic well-being throughout the college journey. These topics were practiced in this thesis through reflection, research. They resulted in a "Mental Health Toolbox" to serve as a support for anybody, but specifically with the target audience of CSU Students in mind.
Self to self, self to others: a cognitive bridge between mirror self-recognition and empathy in non-human animals
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Swygert, Paige, author; Dewey, Tanya, advisor; Willis, Jennie, committee member
Understanding animal consciousness remains one of the most compelling and controversial challenges in behavioral science. This thesis explores the intersection of self-recognition and empathy in non-human animals, focusing on the cognitive and emotional capacities that underpin these traits. Although research in animal behavior has advanced considerably, there remains a reluctance to attribute consciousness to animals due to methodological limitations and philosophical hesitations. By examining the development and application of the mirror self-recognition (MSR) test—from its origin in great apes to its use in dolphins, birds, ants, and beyond—this study investigates the nuances of what it means for an animal to recognize itself and whether that recognition indicates broader self-awareness. A central theme is the distinction between self-recognition (an understanding of the physical self) and self-awareness (an understanding of the self in relation to others), a distinction crucial in evaluating empathy. Drawing on theories such as Frans de Waal's "Russian-doll model," the thesis explores the evolutionary significance of empathy, its relationship to cognitive complexity and encephalization, and its manifestation through behaviors like contagious yawning, consolation, and targeted helping. Notably, many animals that pass the MSR test also exhibit empathetic behaviors, suggesting a potential cognitive link between recognizing the self and relating to the emotional states of others. This thesis argues that self-awareness may be a prerequisite for higher forms of empathy, though the presence of prosocial behavior without confirmed self-recognition complicates this relationship. The implications of these findings are far-reaching, impacting fields from animal welfare and conservation to ethics in agriculture and biomedical research, and ultimately challenge long-held assumptions, calling for a reevaluation of how humans treat and value non-human lives.