Marilyn Hawrys Simons, Ph.D.

Marilyn H. Simons is a leader and advocate in the not-for-profit scientific community. She is co-founder and chair of the Simons Foundation, whose mission is to advance the frontiers of research in math and science. Simons also serves as chair of the board of trustees of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a renowned U.S. molecular biology and genetics research facility. In addition, Simons is a trustee of the National Museum of Mathematics, Rockefeller University, and the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute.

Simons is honored to have received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy with Jim Simons in 2013 and to have been inducted into the French Legion of Honor in 2021 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2024.

Simons joined the board of trustees of the Stony Brook Foundation in 2024, having earned her B.A. and a Ph.D. in economics from Stony Brook University. Simons also launched the Stony Brook Women’s Leadership Council at the university, a mentoring program for outstanding undergraduate women.

Along with these commitments, Simons oversees the philanthropic work of the MJS Foundation, a private family foundation in New York that supports community programs.