News

David Nirenberg, IAS Director and Leon Levy Professor, has been named an inaugural Distinguished Visitor in the Arts and Humanities at Johns Hopkins University. Joining artist-architect Maya Lin as a Visitor for 2026–27, Nirenberg will bring his influential work on ideas, religion, and history to the JHU campus through talks, seminars, and small-group conversations.

From Einstein and Gödel’s cherished walks to today’s “peripatetic cogitation,” the Institute’s winding paths and quiet Woods remain an essential part of how ideas take shape at IAS. In this article, scholars from all four Schools share how walking—alone and together—creates space for reflection, conversation, and discovery.

This spring, a vibrant series celebrating the art of musical collaboration will take place at IAS, featuring five programs of artistic encounter from around the world. The series, hosted in Wolfensohn Hall, will comprise concerts, lecture-demonstrations, and conversations, featuring an array of acclaimed, international performers.

Past scholars from the Institute's School of Mathematics have been honored as part of the 2026 American Mathematical Society (AMS) Awards. Their research spans fields ranging from geometric representation theory and its applications to number theory to work on the nonlinear Schrödinger equation.

Irit Dveer Dinur, Betsey Lombard Overdeck Theory of Computing Professor in the School of Mathematics, has been announced as the recipient of the National Academy of Sciences' 2026 Michael and Sheila Held Prize, together with her four collaborators—each a former IAS Member.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has announced that Molly J. Crockett, Member (2025–26) in the School of Social Science, is a recipient of a 2026 Troland Research Award. Crockett, a cognitive scientist, has, in the words of NAS, "redefined our understanding of moral cognition."

Mario Draghi, IAS Trustee since 1998, has been announced as the 2026 laureate of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen. Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious awards granted in Europe, the Prize recognizes “outstanding personalities who have made a significant contribution to peace, unity, and cooperation in Europe.”

Five past scholars from the School of Natural Sciences have been named as recipients in the American Astronomical Society (AAS) 2026 Awards and Prizes for “outstanding achievements in research and education.” Their research spans a wide range of topics, including the formation, structure, and evolution of galaxies, as well as the study of relativistic deflection.

Cathy N. Davidson, Visitor in the School of Social Science, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, for her work as a "leading voice in digital literacy, learning science, and interdisciplinary innovation."

Ten out of the 40 mathematicians named to the American Mathematical Society’s class of 2026 Fellows are current or former Members in the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Mathematics.