Alumni Special Recognition Award
The Alumni Special Recognition Award honors former CRU graduate students who have built exceptional careers reflecting the program’s mission of applied research, professional service, and dedication to training future conservation scientists. It highlights standout alumni whose contributions advance fish and wildlife management and education.
Diana Hallett
From pioneering coyote research to becoming the first woman to lead major state and national wildlife organizations, Diana Hallett built a career defined by firsts.
Diana Hallett graduated in 1977 with her MS degree through the Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (CRU) at the University of Missouri (MU) under the mentorship of Tom Baskett, Unit Leader. Her master’s research focused on Missouri coyote populations, but she has since spent the following 5+ decades focused on research, mentorship, and breaking barriers.
Diana’s long career involved publishing peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on coyote and pheasant ecology to habitats associations with numerous wildlife species. However, Diana has gone beyond the traditional academic metrics like publications to be a leader and mentor in the wildlife field, as evidenced by her involvement in high levels of TWS and the state agency but has also given back to the MO CRU and the university.
Diana had many notable accomplishments and leadership roles during her career. After she received her MS degree, she was selected in 1977 as the first female game biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. She then came back to Missouri and worked for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and held several prominent roles from 1978 to 2003 when she retired. These positions included wildlife research biologist, but she was then promoted to lead the research branch of MDC as the Research Chief and Supervisor.
Diana has always been supportive of the CRU mission and ensuring research helped inform management. As Chief of Research at MDC, encouraged her MDC biologists to serve on graduate committees at MU for work funded by MDC. Diana set up an estate gift with the University of Missouri “to establish a permanent fund at MU to provide scholarship support for graduate students in the Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.” We are very grateful for this contribution and support to MO CRU. However, Diana wished to begin giving back immediately and provides \$3,000 annually to the Diana Hallett Fellowship, which is given to a graduate student in the MO CRU who is active in professional society.
Diana’s leadership roles ’s are impressive on their own but are more impressive when you consider she was the first woman in many of her professional positions. Diana is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and TWS Fellow. She also was the first female to hold the position of President of the Missouri Chapter of TWS in 1983 and The Wildlife Society President from 2001 to 2002. These were elected positions and thus shows how well Diana is respected in her field.
Diana Hallett’s career stands as a testament to what dedication and service can achieve. She not only advanced wildlife science through her research and leadership but also opened doors for future generations by excelling in roles where no woman had served before. Her commitment to mentorship, her support of the Missouri CRU, and her generous contributions to student success ensure that her influence will continue to shape the field for decades to come. Diana’s legacy is one of excellence, integrity, and unwavering devotion to the wildlife profession.
