Diana Harrison Wall

December 27, 1943 - March 25, 2024

Fort Collins, Colorado - Diana Harrison Wall, PhD, born in Durham, NC, spent early years in Lexington, KY graduating from Lafayette High School . A lifelong learner, she always had a book to read. As Maie John's younger sister, and Ann's older sister, she was both a pest and a delight. Her love of art and political cartoons came from her parents. A summer before grad school as a hospital aide in Germany led to loving adventure and bowle wine punch. She earned a BA, in Biology, and PhD in Plant Pathology from UKy. She was a staunch supporter of women's rights, having encountered blatant gender discrimination early on.

A soil ecologist, after 20 years at UC-Riverside, she was at Colorado State University from 1993 until death. She was Director of the CSU School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES). Read more about her career and impact at: https://source.colostate.edu/diana-wall/.

In 1989, Diana and an extraordinary group of scientist-friends began a National Science Foundation Long-Term Ecological Research project in the dry valleys of Antarctica. Their research proved that her beloved nematodes (microscopic roundworms) topped the food chain in the dry valleys. A CSU tribute indicates: "[h]er interdisciplinary research uncovered dramatic impacts to invertebrate communities in response to climate change, the key role nematode species play in soil carbon turnover, and how they survive such extreme environments." Annual Xmas cards from Antarctica & annual team Wormherder t-shirts were welcome.

Wall Valley in Antarctica was named in Diana's honor. She was: the 2013 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement Laureate; member of the National Academy of Sciences & American Academy of Arts and Sciences, chaired the Council of Scientific Society Presidents, President of ESA, AIBS, and the Society of Nematologists. She was proud to chair the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, which together with the European Union Joint Research Initiative, released the "Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas" in 2016.

Diana worked to establish relationships and collaborations across disciplines, believing that sharing knowledge, ideas, and information is the best way to improve science, academia, and the world. She taught the importance of soil and soil ecosystems to the public. She was proud of SoGES' monthly science chats for the public at a local eatery.

Diana valued competence, and honesty and was a champion eye-roller. Quick to laugh and forgive, she was always interested in people and life, a good friend and avid sports fan. She adored her cats.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Maie J. Wall and Bennett H. Wall, stepmom Neva Wall, sister Maie J. Wall Clark, nephew John E. Clark, Jr., and cherished former mother-in-law Adele Freckman. She is survived by her sister Ann B. Wall of Raleigh, NC, stepsisters Nancy Armstrong and Billie Anderson, aunt Evelyn J. Hughey, nieces Karen C. Epley, Sara C. Gaddis, and nephew, Bryant W. Clark, their families, and her beloved cousins. She is also survived by friends across the world who challenged her, learned from her, taught her, collaborated with her, laughed with her, and loved the worlds of fashion, sports, literature, nematodes, soil ecology, and science right along with her.

CSU will honor Diana on May 6, 2024 in Fort Collins, Colorado. A celebration of her life will be held at St. John's Baptist Church, 1615A Oberlin Road, Raleigh NC 27606 on Saturday, May 25, 2024.

Donate to honor Diana: Ecological Society of America's Henry L. Gholz SEEDS National Field Trip; Association of Early Career Polar Scientists (APECS); CSU SoGES Sustainability Leadership Fellows Program; Planned Parenthood Action Fund; or, Biden-Harris Campaign 2024.