About President Jayawardhana

Ray Jayawardhana is the 10th President of the California Institute of Technology and Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and Professor of Astronomy. He assumed the role on July 1, 2026.

A renowned astrophysicist, Jayawardhana explores the origin and evolution of planetary systems as well as the formation of stars and brown dwarfs. His group uses the largest telescopes on the ground and in space to do ‘remote sensing' of exoplanets, with a view to investigating prospects for life in the universe. He is a science team member for the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRISS instrument, and his group has led Gemini Observatory large programs on high-resolution spectroscopy of exoplanet atmospheres. He is a prolific researcher, co-authoring more than 180 scientific papers.

He is also an award-winning writer of popular science books and a children's book, and over 120 of his articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, and other prominent outlets. He has received numerous accolades, including the Guggenheim Fellowship, Radcliffe Fellowship, and Carl Sagan Medal. Asteroid 4668 Rayjay is named after him. An avid traveler, he has visited more than 60 countries, all seven continents, and the Arctic.

Prior to joining Caltech, Jayawardhana served as Provost of Johns Hopkins University and Professor of Physics and Astronomy, overseeing its ten schools and a broad portfolio of interdisciplinary programs and support functions. He was instrumental in launching major institutional initiatives, including the Data Science and AI Institute and the School of Government and Policy; modernizing critical research infrastructure and administration; deepening collaborations between the Applied Physics Laboratory and academic divisions; and expanding external partnerships. He also launched two signature initiatives: Provost's Fellows for Public Engagement and a universitywide Taskforce on the Arts.

Prior to Hopkins, Jayawardhana served as the Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Hans A. Bethe Professor at Cornell University, where he oversaw the recruitment of 130 faculty members and appointments to 65 endowed professorships. During Jayawardhana's tenure, the College garnered over $308 million in new gifts and commitments and set consecutive fundraising records. Initiatives launched under his leadership include the Klarman Postdoctoral Fellowships, New Frontier Grants, Nexus Scholars Program, and the Distinguished Visiting Journalist Program.

Before Cornell, Jayawardhana served as Dean of Science at York University, following a decade at University of Toronto, where he held a Canada Research Chair. He received his PhD in astronomy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy and physics from Yale University.

Jayawardhana serves on the Board of Trustees of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.