January 08, Colombo (LNW): Renowned astrophysicist Ray Jayawardhana has been appointed as the next president of the California Institute of Technology, stepping into the role at a moment when the prestigious science-focused university is navigating funding pressures and shifting federal priorities for research.

The decision was confirmed by Caltech’s board of trustees following an extensive international search, after current president Thomas F. Rosenbaum announced earlier this year that he would be leaving office. Jayawardhana is set to assume leadership of the institution on July 01.

Currently serving as provost at Johns Hopkins University, Jayawardhana brings both academic and administrative experience to Caltech, a 134-year-old institution widely regarded as one of the world’s leading centres for science and engineering.

Based in Pasadena, the university spans 124 acres and is home to more than 300 faculty members and approximately 2,400 students. Its alumni and researchers include dozens of Nobel Prize winners and pioneers behind major scientific advances.

Caltech also oversees NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which faced significant workforce reductions last year amid broader constraints on space and science funding. The new president is expected to guide the university through these challenges while protecting its research mission and global standing.

Addressing staff and faculty shortly after his appointment, Jayawardhana reflected on his personal journey into science. He recalled growing up in Sri Lanka during the 1980s, when a booklet from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory — filled with striking images of planets such as Jupiter and Saturn — ignited a lifelong fascination with the cosmos. He described the moment as formative, shaping both his career in astrophysics and his belief in the power of scientific discovery to inspire across borders and generations.