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.

Communities in Mountain Scholar

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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Colorado State University, Fort Collins 26345
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 1067
Access is limited to University Press of Colorado members. Non-members: to purchase books, please visit https://upcolorado.com/.

Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
Double materiality assessment practices: industry variations in implementation
(2025-11-08) Kirui, Terryann, author; Opetsi, Graca, author; Gbadrive, Sylvester, author; Matheka, Jacinta, author; Zenodo, publisher
This research paper focuses on variations in the adoption of the practice of double materiality assessment (DMA) in various industries after the establishment of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). This study explores how firms can implement the concept of double materiality to their own industry and areas, through the extensive study of 58 organizations that operate in different industries and geographical locations. The results indicate that there are clear differences in the implementation strategies, where financial services, manufacturing, and utilities industries indicate preference to different methodology and approach to stakeholder engagement. It reveals that not many companies completely implemented the concept of double materiality, and most of the implementations will happen in 2021, mostly in European companies. The study is useful in the research on how the characteristics of an industry impact the adoption and implementation of a double materiality assessment and offers useful insights to practitioners, regulators, and researchers working in the sustainability reporting field.
Access status: Open Access ,
Historical periods: the stigmatization of menstruation through various cultures and eras
(2025) Matthews, Emilie, author; Heineman, Kristin, advisor; Centelles, Vanessa, committee member
The stigmatization of menstruation is a common occurrence throughout history and across the globe. Whereas modern-day menstrual stigmatization is evident through the use of euphemisms like "time of the month" and the seemingly inherent embarrassment and disgust associated with menstruation, this phenomenon can be achieved through a variety of methods. Using Link and Phelan's (2001) definition of stigma, this thesis examines the menstrual practices and beliefs of different cultures throughout history and explores whether menstruation was stigmatized in each instance. Analyzing evidence from the Roman Republic, various indigenous tribes from southeastern North America, the historic "Western" world, the Akan of Ghana, and modern-day India and Nepal, this paper demonstrates that menstrual stigmatization is evident both throughout history and the modern-world.
Access status: Open Access ,
Fostering hope: the transformative role of community support for foster children and families
(2025) Weis, Lindsey, author; Merline, Anne Marie, advisor; Burks, Conner, committee member
Most foster youth entering the child welfare system have experienced trauma and instability, and continue to face these challenges through frequent placement changes and inconsistent access to support. These disruptions can create lasting emotional, behavioral, and academic difficulties, especially when mental health and educational resources are limited. This thesis explores how community-based support systems can strengthen the resilience of foster youth and caregivers to mitigate the challenges posed by the foster care system. Through a literature review, I examine how consistent community support and positive social connections influence foster youths' well-being, development, and sense of identity. Kids at Heart is a Northern Colorado nonprofit focused on providing structured respite and enrichment programs for foster and adoptive families. Volunteering for and interviewing this organization's director has given me insight into how a reliable, caring environment can help rebuild trust and promote emotional growth among foster youth, while reducing caregiver stress. My findings indicate that a strong sense of community can make a meaningful difference for families navigating the foster care system, and this thesis highlights the importance of consistent, supportive networks for helping foster youth and caregivers thrive.
Access status: Open Access ,
Establishment of metadata digitization in the Colorado State University Biology Teaching Collection: literature review and applied outcome
(2025) Barr, Lindsay, author; Dewey, Tanya, advisor; Neuwald, Jennifer, committee member
Digitization in natural history collections is essential in the pursuit of sharing information in the scientific field. However, this is an underutilized resource, and the absence of digital records increases barriers to entry in scientific research. This is especially true with small and teaching-focused collections, such as the Biology teaching collection at Colorado State University, which is underrepresented in digital databases. The collection houses more than 13,000 specimens with valuable scientific data, yet no data is accessible outside of the collection. These collections lack consistency and have a high turnover rate of volunteers, which poses a challenge to setting up and maintaining an effective and reliable system. This project aims to synthesize the current knowledge on digitization strategies, and implement an effective workflow through the platform of Symbiota for how volunteers can digitize collections in the future. I conducted a literature review examining peer-reviewed studies and case studies to evaluate the best approaches for accessibility and sustainability in digitization. This led to the creation of an official Symbiota guide, detailing how to input data in the system, along with the facilitation of a workshop for members of the different specimen collections on the CSU campus. Ultimately, small collections such as the Biology Teaching Collection hold great value in their specimens, particularly with locally significant data, but are frequently overlooked. Platforms like Symbiota, which are publicly accessible, make these data available worldwide and can significantly contribute to the field of scientific study. The establishment of digitization initiatives in smaller collections is essential for strengthening biodiversity data networks and expanding scientific knowledge.
Access status: Open Access ,
Comparative analysis on the influence of land management on conservation methods of endangered species ranges
(2025) Buckmire, Sinder, author; Bombaci, Sara, advisor; Bailey, Larissa, committee member
Species ranges play an important role in understanding species ecology for effective conservation management, with the distribution of endangered species ranges across different land management jurisdictions being a key determinant of the conservation strategies and regulatory frameworks that shape species recovery. This study used ArcGIS to perform spatial intersection analyses to quantify the overlap between federally-managed and Indigenous-managed lands, and the extant range of three species of high conservation concern (at least an Endangered listing under the IUCN Red List) in the US: the Black-footed Ferret, the Mojave Desert Tortoise, and the Western Alligator Snapping Turtle. Results found that the Black-footed Ferret and Mojave Desert Tortoise have a significantly larger portion of their total ranges on federally-managed lands, while the Western Alligator Snapping Turtle has a moderately balanced distribution across federal and Indigenous jurisdictions, but exhibits a much smaller amount of overlap with the two land management types across their total range. These patterns indicate that conservation methods for some endangered species depend on the strategies employed under a particular land management type, while others depend on collaborative governance. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of integrating land governance into species range analyses, and highlights the need for collaborative Indigenous-federal conservation strategies to increase the effectiveness of conservation actions and improve recovery for species of high conservation concern.