Paul Pollack, professor in the Department of Mathematics, is one of the most distinguished experts of his generation in the field of number theory, a branch of mathematics that is thousands of years old and concerned with properties of whole numbers. In his creative research project, he demonstrated how methods from the well-established field of analytic number theory can be brought in to derive powerful new results in the burgeoning area of arithmetic statistics. This kind of synthesis could be carried out by few other mathematicians, making him a world leader in this field. His work has contributed to some of the most significant contemporary research programs in arithmetic statistics: understanding growth rates of number-field-related arithmetic functions and classifying the torsion of elliptic curves. His methods of proof are original and inventive, showcasing his impressive skill in using analytic number theory to answer questions about the statistical behavior of algebraic and geometric objects.