Decision Lens mourns the loss, but celebrates the legacy, of Dr. Thomas L. Saaty, 91, who passed away earlier this week in Pennsylvania surrounded by family.
“The entire Decision Lens family is saddened by the passing of Dr. Saaty, the true historical icon of our organization,” said John Kealey, CEO of Decision Lens Inc. “He will be remembered not only for all of the great research and work he did in Decision Science, but also for being such an inspiration to his family, friends, and colleagues.”
Dr. Saaty is regarded by many as the true “father” of Decision Science. The work he did around decision theory, decision making, and decision strategy led to the invention of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the leading framework for solving multi-criteria problems at scale, as well as numerous other mathematical standards and frameworks. He wrote more than 35 books and 300 professional papers on the topics of decision strategy and problem solving. His expertise led to him being requested by name by country leaders from around the globe to aid in high level issue resolution including arms control, financial strategies, and international peace efforts. Dr. Saaty has been a professor at the University of Pittsburgh since 1979, which he joined after spending 10 years as a professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and 7 years in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency at the U.S. State Department. He has masters and doctoral degrees in Mathematics and Physics from Yale University, the University of Paris, Catholic University of America, and Columbia Union College.
He formed the International Symposium on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (ISAHP) for Decision Making, a thriving community and bi-annual event that brings together researchers, teachers, students, and practical users of AHP to share their research and experiences. And he has received prestigious awards throughout his career, including the Impact Prize in 2008 by INFORMS and the International Quality Function Deployment Akao Prize from Japan in 2007.
Dr. Saaty’s work is largely responsible for an entire industry of applications, products, and experts in the area of decision science. Universities across the globe teach his theories, ideas, and the AHP framework in undergraduate and graduate curricula. Professional and public organizations globally have implemented AHP strategies and solutions as part of their standard processes. And dozens of commercial software products have been created based on applications of his theories and teachings.
Decision Lens is proud and humbled to be one of those software products. We are incredibly honored to be continuing the legacy of Dr. Saaty and his sons, John Saaty and Daniel Saaty, and to be associated with his work and inventions. Without his research and teachings, Decision Lens would not be where we are today – trusted to help the largest public and private organizations make smarter choices with their resources. He was an inspiration to all of us at Decision Lens and will continue to be into the future.
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