Ismar Volić

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR + MATH PROFESSOR AND EDUCATOR + SPEAKER + DEMOCRATIC REFORM SCHOLAR

LOCATED NEAR: Natick, MA

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SPEAKING TOPICS

Mathematics of Democracy
Voting Systems and Electoral Reform
Ranked-Choice Voting, Gerrymandering, Districting, and Political Representation
The Electoral College and Apportionment
Statistics, Data, and Political Power
Mathematics of Conflict and Negotiation
Quantitative Literacy and Civic Engagement
Mathematics for Social Justice
AI in Service of Democracy
STEM Education and Mathematical Literacy

EVENT TYPES

KEYNOTES
lectures
conferences
workshops
fireside chats
panel
book talks and readings
virtual events
international events
interviews

Popular Talks

Mathematical Foundations of Democracy: How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation

Drawing the line: the mathematics of gerrymandering

Beyond the ballot: the mathematics of citizen-powered democracy

The Math That Built the Modern World: Cryptocurrency, AI, and More

Ismar Volić is a Professor of Mathematics and the Director of the Institute for Mathematics and Democracy at Wellesley College. He received a B.A. from Boston University and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Brown University. His research is in topology and social choice theory. He is the author of many articles and books and has delivered more than three hundred lectures in over twenty countries. He was a visiting professor at Harvard University, MIT, and the University of Virginia. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Simons Foundation, and the Fulbright Fellowship among others. In 2026, he was elected a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society.

Ismar likes to teach across the math curriculum, advise student research, and advocate for mathematics as a relevant and vibrant discipline. He has in recent years dedicated himself to research, education, and outreach on topics that lie in the intersection of mathematics and democracy. It is in this spirit that he co-founded the Institute for Mathematics and Democracy in 2019. His latest book, Making Democracy Count: How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation, won the Mathematical Association of America’s Euler Prize and was a finalist for the PROSE award given by the Association of American Publishers. The book is based on The Mathematics of Democracy, a popular course he created and has taught for several years at Wellesley. His TEDx talk which highlights the main ideas from the book, The hidden math that shapes democracy, was selected as a TED Editors’ Pick.

Ismar was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and came to the U.S. in 1991 to attend his senior year of high school. Soon after his arrival, a war broke out in his country and he has lived in the U.S. ever since. He now travels to Bosnia-Herzegovina frequently through his involvement in various education and research activities, including advising Ph.D. students and working with various agencies to bring quality STEM education to the country.

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BOOKS BY Ismar Volić

 
 

Ismar Volić in the media

Ismar Volic "Math Goes to Washington: The Mathematics of Democracy, from Theory to Practice"

Making Democracy Count - How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation | Ismar Volić at Harvard Book Store

Discussion: Ismar Volić in Conversation with Sam Wang at the Princeton Public Library

Ismar is a resident speaker for Lectures on Tap, a popular event series where professors and experts give thought-provoking lectures inside of bars. Ismar regularly gives talks every month for this program and has spoken at several breweries, a theater, and a comedy club in the Boston area.

 

Articles by Ismar Volić:


Articles featuring Ismar Volić:

Ismar Volić featured in the documentary Counted Out: countedoutfilm.com/


Podcasts with Ismar Volić:

Ismar Volić on the Breaking Math Podcast on the Intersection of Mathematics and Democracy

Ismar Volić on Keen On America

Princeton UP Ideas Podcast: An interview with Ismar Volić

 
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