Michael Savageau, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in the College of Biological Sciences, and the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering has been named the recipient of the 2021 Akira Okubo Prize.

Awarded jointly every four years by the Society for Mathematical Biology and the Japanese Society for Mathematical Biology, the prize honors a scientist whose work has enabled significant advances in the field of biological sciences. His citation reads, in part, “[Savageau is] a true pioneer, visionary, enabler, teacher and superb mentor in the development and application of innovative theory in biology.”

Savageau’s research elucidates the function, design and evolution of natural and synthetic molecular systems, and has helped advance the emerging field of systems biology.