Pasadena’s Caltech is getting its next leader starting this summer.
The venerated research institution announced last week that Ray Jayawardhana will become president effective July 1. He will replace Thomas Rosenbaum, who has led Caltech since 2014.
“I am deeply honored to have been selected as Caltech’s 10th president and to join this remarkable community of trailblazers,” Jayawardhana said in a statement.
Jayawardhana will come to Caltech from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he has been provost since 2023. The astrophysicist will probably feel right at home with Caltech: the institution co-manages the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii and fully manages Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. One fun fact: Jayawardhana has an asteroid named after him, 4668 Rayjay.
“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,” Jonas Zmuidzinas, a Caltech physics professor and chair of its search committee, said. “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.”
• • •
Engel & Völkers Santa Monica announced last week that founder and broker owner Sandra Miller died.
Miller founded the brokerage outpost in 2008, making it the first office for the German firm in California. Through her career, she racked up more than $3 billion in real estate transactions and was recognized by a variety of trade publications for her work and leadership.
“A strong advocate for women in real estate, she was a prominent supporter of Woman Up, personally mentoring female agents, executives, and brokerage owners nationwide,” the brokerage said in its announcement. “She was equally generous with peers across the industry, offering guidance on brokerage growth, succession and leadership.”
Zane Hill
Source link