Alumni Award

Before you can punish a criminal, you must first know about the crime. Thanks to the sleuthing skills of Steven R. Galster ’84, human and animal trafficking crimes that might otherwise have gone unchecked are being addressed and remedied.

After graduating from Grinnell, Galster earned a master’s degree in security policy from George Washington University.

He spent his early career at the National Security Archives and the Environmental Investigation Agency on projects about arms and ivory trafficking. In 1994, he founded the Global Survival Network. It was here that he uncovered Russian Mafia involvement in international human trafficking operations. He was instrumental in designing programs to help reduce the vulnerability of victims.

In 2000, Galster founded WildlifeAlliance (WildAid), which was ultimately responsible for launching a 13-country wildlife enforcement network—the world’s largest.

In total, he has founded five organizations to combat human and wildlife trafficking, and he has led investigations into black market operations in five continents. The investigations he has launched and reports he has created have resulted in real change, and they have also raised awareness of trafficking issues. Stories about Galster and his work have appeared in CNN, Time, and the BBC

For uncovering outrageous abuses of both humans and animals—and working diligently to help stop them—Grinnell is pleased to honor Steven R. Galster ’84.