Diana Wall Receives Highest Honor from Soil Science Society of America
Note to Reporters: A photo of Diana Wall is available with this release at news.colostate.edu
Diana H. Wall, founding director of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES) at Colorado State University, was presented with the Soil Science Society of America’s highest honor, the Presidential Award, at the organization’s 2013 annual meeting on Nov. 4 in Tampa.
SSSA annual awards honor outstanding contributions to soil science through education, national and international service, and research. The Presidential Award is presented to those who have influenced soil science or the practice of soil science so greatly that the impact of their efforts will be enduring on the future of the science and/or profession. It is presented only in years when the recipient meets the fundamental criterion that their influence and impact on soil science is lasting and important.
“We are incredibly appreciative of Professor Wall’s contributions, not only to CSU, but to the entire community of scholars around the globe who have been taught from, been engaged with, and been inspired by, her passion for science and discovery,” said Rick Miranda, Provost and Executive Vice President of Colorado State University. “Congratulations to Diana!”
Wall is a professor of Biology in the College of Natural Sciences and one of only 15 University Distinguished Professors at CSU; and Senior Scientist at CSU’s Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory. A pioneer in scientific understanding of the role of soil biodiversity in climate change, earlier this year she received The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement on the 40th anniversary of the award.
Wall has also been honored with the Mines Medal from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and the SCAR President’s Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research – an interdisciplinary committee of the prestigious International Council for Science.
Wall, who is an influential figure among environmental scientific policymakers, studies some of the globe’s tiniest animals called nematodes, microscopic worms vital to soil nutrition and biodiversity. She has spent 24 seasons in Antarctica where the worms can be studied unhindered by plants and animal life. In 2005, Wall Valley in Antarctica was named for her achievements.
About the Soil Science Society of America
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is an international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils, based in Madison, Wis. It provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use. www.soils.org
About CSU’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability
A first for the state, the School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES) encompasses all sustainability (society, economics and environment) education and research at Colorado State University. The school positions CSU to address the multiple challenges to global sustainability through broad-based research, curricular programs and outreach initiatives. The school’s emphases include food security, environmental institutions and governance, sustainable communities, land and water resources, biodiversity, conservation and management, climate change and energy. sustainability.colostate.edu/