Diana Wall (1943-2024) was a leading environmental scientist and soil ecologist who was the Founding Director of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University, where she served as a University Distinguished Professor. Her research focused on the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys, biodiversity, soil ecology, and the effects of climate change.

Wall received much recognition for her work including the Mines Medal from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, the Soil Ecology Society Professional Achievement Award, the Tyler Prize for environmental achievement, and the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research President’s Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research. She was also awarded the Ulysses Medal, the University College of Dublin’s highest honor. Additionally, Wall was named a Fellow of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program and was inducted into both the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She even had a piece of Antarctica named after her: Wall Valley.

Wall’s Montgomery Fellowship was part of a larger Dartmouth initiative focused on the theme of “Climate Change and Society.” During her time on campus, she delivered the lecture, “Soil Biodiversity in the Cold: Life in the Antarctic Dry Valleys,” and engaged with students and professors in a variety of venues to discuss topics relating to the climate.