Board Members

On July 1, 2026, Ray Jayawardhana began his service as the tenth president of Caltech and the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and professor of astronomy. 

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. A prolific researcher, he has co-authored more than 180 scientific papers. 

He is also an award-winning author 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. 

Prior to joining Caltech, Jayawardhana served as provost of Johns Hopkins University and professor of physics and astronomy. As provost, he advanced the university's research, education, and outreach missions, overseeing its ten schools and numerous interdisciplinary programs and support functions. Previously, Jayawardhana served as the Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Hans A. Bethe Professor at Cornell University.  

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

Standing Committees: Executive, ex-officio; Advancement and Institute Relations, ex-officio; Audit, Compliance, and Risk, ex-officio; Executive Compensation, ex-officio; Finance, Facilities, and Infrastructure, ex-officio; Governance and Nominating, ex-officio; Investment, ex-officio; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ex-officio; Student Experience, ex-officio; Technology Transfer and Innovation, ex-officio