Marilyn Hawrys Simons, Ph.D.

Marilyn Hawrys Simons is the co-founder of the Simons Foundation and the chair of the foundation’s board of trustees. She previously served as its president from 1994 to 2021. She has more than 30 years of experience actively supporting basic science research, education and outreach, particularly with nonprofit organizations in the New York area.

Simons is chair of the board of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a board member of the Turkana Basin Institute and the National Museum of Mathematics, and chair of the Stony Brook Women’s Leadership Council. As a member of the board of trustees of the LearningSpring School and the East Harlem Scholars Academies in New York City, she has also been involved in pre-K-12 education for underserved communities.

Simons received a B.A. and a Ph.D. in economics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.