Science
Donald Saari grew up exploring the woods of northern Michigan, where he developed a lasting curiosity about the natural world. He found a way to understand and use that curiosity in the field of mathematics. He has used math to unravel a number of different mysteries, including how planets move around their suns and whether voting accurately represents the will of the people. The analytical methods he helped develop have given scientists everywhere new tools for understanding how the world works. Donald Saari is a Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Economics at the University of California, Irvine. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2001.