Vincent Ostrom was an influential American political scientist known for his work in public administration and the study of collective action. He co-founded the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at Indiana University, which focused on understanding how communities manage shared resources effectively. His research emphasized the importance of local governance and the role of institutions in fostering cooperation among individuals. Ostrom was awarded the Gifford Pinchot Medal for his contributions to the field and was a prominent figure in the New Institutional Economics movement. He, along with his wife, Elinor Ostrom, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2009 for their analysis of economic governance, particularly in relation to common-pool resources.