The Institute for Advanced Study has elected John Overdeck as the next chair of its board of trustees. He has served as a trustee and co-chair of the Investment Committee since 2015.
Overdeck succeeds Charles Simonyi, who served as chair since 2008, acting as a generous supporter, steady leader, and fierce advocate for the Institute’s global role as a home for free, independent, and groundbreaking research. Simonyi joined the board in 1997, and will continue to serve as a trustee following his time as chair.
“John has been a valued colleague on the Board, who loves the Institute. He has brought his extraordinary talents to overseeing the Institute’s investments, and his keen foresight to the Institute’s strategic direction,” Simonyi said. “I look forward to him bringing his energy, rigor, and insights to the chair’s role.”
David Nirenberg, IAS director and Leon Levy professor, credited Simonyi for his exceptional support of foundational research and helping the Institute stay true to its mission in a rapidly changing world. He said Overdeck is an ideal successor to the role.
“The Institute has been extraordinarily fortunate to have two leaders on our board who share the same fierce commitment to discovery and to giving our scholars the support, conditions, and freedom to do their best work,” Nirenberg said. “I am deeply grateful to Charles for his many years of wise leadership, and his unwavering support as I came on board, and I look forward to carrying that strong partnership forward with John.”
As a high schooler, Overdeck won a silver medal at the 27th International Mathematical Olympiad. He received an undergraduate degree in mathematics at Stanford University before undertaking doctoral studies in statistics as a National Science Foundation graduate fellow.
Overdeck then took his training to the corporate world, serving as a managing director at D.E. Shaw & Co. and later as a technical assistant to the CEO and a vice president at Amazon.com. In 2001, he co-founded Two Sigma, where he presently serves as co-chair as well as chief investment officer of Two Sigma Investments.
In 2011, he founded Overdeck Family Foundation, which aims to measurably enhance education both inside and outside the classroom. He has held leadership positions on the boards of the National Museum of Mathematics, Robin Hood Foundation, Hamilton Insurance Group, and Bedtime Math Foundation.
“I have always believed in the power of ideas and discovery to impact lives and change the world, and there is no finer an example of that than the Institute,” said Overdeck. “It is an honor to serve IAS and to work with my fellow Trustees and Institute leadership to create a home where scholarship can thrive, especially as the questions in front of us rapidly evolve.”
More information: www.ias.edu.
