Ray Jayawardhana Appointed Caltech’s Tenth President
Dr. Ray Jayawardhana, an accomplished academic leader and renowned astrophysicist who currently serves as provost of Johns Hopkins University, has been named Caltech’s next president, the tenth in the Institute’s 105-year history.
“Ray is a leader of exceptional distinction who brings a complement of qualities—as a pioneering astrophysics researcher, respected university administrator, and compelling science communicator—that together will ensure Caltech builds on its legacy of transformational research and exploration to benefit humanity,” says Caltech Board of Trustees Chair David W. Thompson (MS ’78). “The Board’s unanimous decision reflects our confidence in Ray’s ability to chart Caltech’s future—advancing our mission, inspiring our community, and elevating the Institute’s global impact.”
Jayawardhana will assume his new position on July 1, 2026.
“I am deeply honored to have been selected as Caltech’s tenth president and to join this remarkable community of trailblazers,” says Jayawardhana. “For more than a century, Caltech has achieved extraordinary and enduring impact from a deceptively simple formula: empowering brilliant minds to explore important questions with imagination and courage and making bold commitments to efforts others might consider too risky or far-fetched.”
At Caltech, Jayawardhana says he will partner with faculty and other stakeholders to advance bold, catalytic investments in innovative ventures on campus, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and across the Institute’s suite of global observatories; enrich the experience of undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows; and expand the Institute’s engagement with the public.
Jonas Zmuidzinas (BS ’81), the Merle Kingsley Professor of Physics and chair of the Institute’s search committee, said that from the beginning of the presidential search, the input and insights from members of the Caltech community were clear: the community was looking for a leader who is not only an accomplished scientist or engineer, but who embodies Caltech’s commitment to excellence in all ways.
“We heard that the community was looking for a strong communicator; an individual who has a record of leading with integrity, courage, and creativity; a leader who possesses the ability to be an effective steward of JPL; and someone who inspires support and confidence among philanthropic partners. We understood that we were asking for a lot and are pleased to share that in Ray, we have met—if not exceeded—our community’s expectations,” Zmuidzinas says. “Ray brings to Caltech a stellar record of academic leadership and a record of working collaboratively with the faculty, with other leaders at his institution, and with external partners to deliver outstanding results.”
Jayawardhana will succeed Thomas F. Rosenbaum, Caltech’s ninth and current president, who concludes his service as president in June 2026 after 12 years in office. Rosenbaum, a professor of physics and the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair, maintained a condensed matter physics research group during his presidency, authoring several dozen research papers and mentoring graduate students and summer undergraduate research fellows throughout his tenure. He will remain on the faculty and continue this research.
“I am humbled and inspired by the leaders who’ve come before me and by the legacy of excellence and ambition that defines this unparalleled institution,” Jayawardhana says. “I look forward to helping write Caltech’s next daring chapter of discovery and innovation.”