Donald R. Griffin

Donald R. Griffin is probably best known for his studies on echolocation—a word he coined—whereby bats and other animals orient themselves and find food by listening to echoes of their own voices. He has been dubbed "the father of the field." Two of Griffin's books have been specially recognized for his ability to turn complex concepts into lucid and engaging prose: Listening in the Dark, which won the Elliott Medal of the National Academy of Sciences in 1961, and Bird Migration, which was awarded the Phi Beta Kappa Science Prize in 1966. He is also the author of other books and numerous scientific papers.