New York – The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) today announced that President Anna Harvey—a distinguished scholar and former Dean at New York University—will be stepping down from her role on June 30, 2025. A search for her successor will commence in the fall of 2025.

In a letter to SSRC staff and partners, Board Chair Dr. Bill Janeway wrote, “Anna’s commitment to scholarly excellence, dedication to research innovation, and efforts to forge dynamic new partnerships have made important contributions to the SSRC and helped position it for a strong and forward-looking future.” In her own message to staff, Dr. Harvey shared, “It has been an honor to serve the research community these last four years. In a challenging environment for research funding, we showed that it is possible to attract significant philanthropic support for rigorous and impactful social and behavioral science that helps communities thrive. As I step away for a sabbatical year, I’m grateful to all those who continue to advance this important work.”

Dr. Janeway highlighted three major accomplishments during Dr. Harvey’s tenure: launching and advancing the Centennial Capital Campaign, which raised over $100 million in programmatic and endowment support; expanding and enriching the College and University Fund; and strengthening connections between academic researchers and policymakers. “Anna has been a tireless advocate for the scholarly community and for leveraging academic research to improve public policy,” he noted.

The SSRC Board’s Executive Committee will serve as the search committee for the Council’s next president. A dedicated web page with additional information about the search process will be launched shortly. Inquiries and nominations may be directed to Search Committee Chair Dr. Naomi Lamoreaux at presidentialsearch@ssrc.org.