[hdevarajan]

Thurston is low dimensional topologist and Fields medalist. From the Wikipedia page:

'In fact, Thurston resolved so many outstanding problems in foliation theory in such a short period of time that it led to a kind of exodus from the field, where advisors counselled students against going into foliation theory[1] because Thurston was "cleaning out the subject"'

[Simon_says]

was, sadly.