Five Past Members Selected as 2022 Simons Investigators

Five past Members in the School of Natural Sciences and the School of Mathematics have been selected as 2022 Simons Investigators, enabling them to undertake a long-term study of fundamental questions in their fields. 

In Natural Sciences, Tracy Slatyer (Member 2010–13, Junior Visiting Professor 2018–19) and Douglas Stanford (Member 2014–19) were cited for their work on theories of dark matter and the quantum properties of black holes, respectively. At the Institute, Slatyer explored the possible signatures of dark matter interactions in the early universe. Stanford worked on the relationship to chaotic dynamics in quantum field theory.

In Mathematics, Chenyang Xu (Member 2008, 2014), Shachar Lovett (Member 2010–12), and Nicholas Sheridan (Veblen Research Instructor 2012–15, Visitor 2015–16, Member 2016–17) were selected. Xu was noted for establishing a rich algebraic K-stability theory for Fano varieties, Lovett for his research in structure and randomness in computer science, and Sheridan for his work on symplectic geometry. 

Simons Investigators are selected by the Simons Foundation, established in 1994 by Marilyn and James Simons (Member 1972 and Trustee Emeritus), whose mission it is to “advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences.” Investigators are chosen for outstanding contributions to theoretical science and for establishing creative new research directions in their fields. They are appointed for an initial period of five years to conduct their research.