Caltech Welcomes Ray Jayawardhana as Tenth President
Caltech appointed astrophysicist Ray Jayawardhana as its tenth president on July 1, 2026, succeeding Thomas F. Rosenbaum. Jayawardhana, previously provost at Johns Hopkins University, will oversee Caltech’s Pasadena campus and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Ray Jayawardhana officially began his role as Caltech’s tenth president on July 1, 2026, succeeding Thomas F. Rosenbaum. The appointment was announced following a six-month search process involving extensive community engagement. Jayawardhana, who holds the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair, emphasized his commitment to advancing Caltech’s mission amid evolving national and global scientific landscapes.
Jayawardhana, a former provost at Johns Hopkins University, brings extensive leadership experience overseeing ten schools and interdisciplinary programs. His academic background includes over 180 peer-reviewed papers and popular science books, alongside roles as a science communicator for major publications. He will continue his research as a Caltech professor of astronomy while leading the Institute.
As president, Jayawardhana will oversee Caltech’s Pasadena campus, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and international observatories including LIGO, Keck, and Palomar. He highlighted the importance of balancing fundamental discovery with applied innovation, advocating for investments in high-risk research ideas. His leadership approach focuses on collaboration and resource alignment to support faculty and student initiatives.
Jayawardhana reflected on his long-standing connection to Caltech, tracing back to his childhood fascination with space and his participation in a summer school program as a graduate student. He expressed admiration for Caltech’s legacy of discovery and its community of researchers, pledging to build on its achievements while charting new scientific frontiers.