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Ray Jayawardhana named 16th Provost of Johns Hopkins University

Published

3 years ago

2023/08/6

Renowned astrophysicist and accomplished academic leader joins JHU from Cornell, where he has served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since 2018Ray Jayawardhana, an accomplished academic leader, renowned and widely published scientist, and award-winning author who presently serves as dean of Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as Johns Hopkins University’s 16th provost.

Jayawardhana has led Cornell’s largest and most academically diverse college since 2018, overseeing enhancements to the student experience and the recruitment of 130 new faculty members, increasing the school’s scholarly distinction and impact in the process. He stood out among a strong group of candidates identified during a comprehensive national search.

The executive committee of the university’s board of trustees approved Jayawardhana’s appointment last week. His first day at Johns Hopkins will be Oct. 15.

“Dr. Jayawardhana is a visionary and collaborative leader who is driven by the same passionate pursuit of excellence and discovery that has been the hallmark of our institution since its founding,” JHU President Ron Daniels wrote in a message to the Hopkins community announcing Jayawardhana’s appointment.

“Dr. Jayawardhana’s record of accomplishments, his standards for excellence and integrity, and his commitment to driving collaboration across divisions and disciplines make him the ideal person to serve as Johns Hopkins University’s next provost.”

At Cornell, Jayawardhana has focused on four strategic priorities—faculty renewal and support, research and creative excellence, academic innovation and student experience, and public engagement and impact. During his tenure as dean, the College of Arts and Sciences has adopted a new undergraduate curriculum, introduced first-year advising seminars, implemented a selective and prestigious program that pairs liberal arts pursuits with the study of technology and data, and promoted active learning approaches. He also advanced opportunity and access through a wide range of academic and student programs, established a set of coveted postdoctoral fellowships for outstanding emerging scholars, and elevated public and media engagement dramatically. During his tenure, the college raised more than $300 million in philanthropic support.

Jayawardhana was instrumental in launching enhanced, cross-college departments of sociology, psychology, and economics. He also partnered with deans and faculty across the university to develop and lead signature initiatives in three critical areas of inquiry—climate, artificial intelligence, and quantum research.

As provost at Johns Hopkins, he will serve as the university’s chief academic officer, working closely with President Daniels and with leaders from across JHU on interdisciplinary initiatives, academic policies and procedures, and key priorities that support the university’s research and education missions.

“Johns Hopkins is on a remarkable trajectory, with bold ambitions and tremendous momentum,” Jayawardhana said. “I am excited to join this exceptionally dynamic community, and partner with President Daniels and others to help advance the university’s excellence and impact.”

Prior to joining Cornell’s faculty, Jayawardhana served as dean of science and professor of physics and astronomy at York University in Canada. This followed a decade on the faculty at the University of Toronto, where he served as a Canada Research Chair, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, and senior advisor to the president for science engagement.

A native of Sri Lanka, Jayawardhana earned a bachelor of science degree in astronomy and physics from Yale University and a PhD in astronomy from Harvard. He is the winner of numerous awards and accolades, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Rutherford Medal in Physics from the Royal Society of Canada, and a Carl Sagan Medal from the American Astronomical Society’s Division of Planetary Sciences. Asteroid (4668) Rayjay is named after him.

His research focuses on the diversity, origins, and evolution of planetary systems. His group uses large telescopes on the ground and in space to characterize planets outside our solar system, with an eye toward investigating the prospects for life elsewhere in the universe. He is a core science team member for the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope, and has authored more than 150 refereed papers in scientific journals.

Jayawardhana is also an acclaimed writer whose articles have appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications. He is the author of four books, including Strange New Worlds, an insider’s account of the search for life on other planets; Neutrino Hunters, a tale of the chase for the so-called ghost particle that won the Canadian Science Writers Association’s Book Award in 2014; and Child of the Universe, a children’s book published in 2020 meant to spark the same fascination with our universe that inspired him as a child.

The book aims to convey “the deep and enduring links—both physical and poetic—between the universe and us, and to nurture a sense of wonder about the great beyond,” Jayawardhana writes in his author’s note.

An avid traveler, Jayawardhana has visited more than 55 countries and all seven continents. His travels, for research and writing, have included visits to mountaintop observatories in Chile and Hawaii, a meteorite collecting expedition in Antarctica, a parabolic flight with the European Space Agency, a solar eclipse chase in western Mongolia, and a descent into a South African mine with geobiologists.

He succeeds Sunil Kumar, who served as JHU’s provost from September 2016 through April 2023 and recently became the president of Tufts University. Professor Stephen Gange of the Bloomberg School of Public Health has led the provost’s office on an interim basis since Kumar’s departure.

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Maldivian President plants a sapling to mark 60 years of Sri Lanka–Maldives Diplomatic Relations

Published

3 hours ago

2026/05/4

Priyan

President of the Maldives, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who is on a State Visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, planted a sapling this afternoon (04) at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Upon arrival at the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu was warmly received by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Children lined both sides of the pathway holding the national flags of the two countries and paid tribute to the visiting Maldivian President.

Among those present at the occasion were Deputy Speaker Rizvi Salih, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath and the Mayor of Colombo, Vraie Cally Balthazaar, along with several other dignitaries.

[President’s Media Division (PMD)]

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Sri Lanka and Maldives strengthen ties with productive bilateral talks

Published

3 hours ago

2026/05/4

Priyan

Following the bilateral meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives, who is currently on a State visit to Sri Lanka, official-level bilateral discussions between the delegations of the two countries were held this morning (04) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The discussions commenced after the formal welcome ceremony accorded to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu earlier this morning within the Presidential Secretariat premises.

Extending a warm welcome to the Maldivian President, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed his appreciation for accepting the invitation to visit Sri Lanka.

President Dissanayake noted that President Muizzu’s visit, taking place as the two nations mark 61 years of diplomatic relations, reflects the strong partnership, mutual trust and longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The President further expressed confidence that the visit would mark a new phase in bilateral relations.

The two leaders engaged in extensive discussions on ways to further expand and diversify multifaceted cooperation, including economic, cultural and social ties, in a manner that delivers mutual benefits to the people of both countries.

Key areas of focus included tourism promotion, educational cooperation, youth and sports development, challenges faced by both nations in the fisheries sector within the Indian Ocean region, education and vocational training, as well as defence training and broader security cooperation.

Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Science and Technology, Krishantha Abeysena; Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retired), Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (covering Europe, North America, East Asia and Oceania, Southeast Asia and Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Legal Affairs) M. R. K. Lenagala, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the Maldives, Mohamed Rizvi Hassan and Director (South Asia and SAARC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Mahesha Jayawardena.

The Maldivian delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs Iruthisham Adam, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mohamed Saeed, Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources, Ahmed Shiyam, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan, Chief of Staff to the President, Abdulla Fayaz, Principal Secretary to the President on Foreign Relations, Mohamed Naseer; Chief Government Spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, High Commissioner of the Maldives to Sri Lanka,Masood Imad; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chief of Protocol , Mohamed Shahudy, Deputy Minister at the President’s Office, Mr Mohamed Hassaan and Minister Counsellor at the Maldives High Commission in Sri Lanka, Mr. Ismail Mamdhooh.

[President’s Media Division (PMD)]

News

Maldives and Sri Lanka exchange seven MOUs

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/4

Priyan

Seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), signed across several sectors between the Maldives and Sri Lanka, were formally exchanged this morning (04) at the Presidential Secretariat in the presence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives.

Marking a new chapter in Maldives–Sri Lanka relations, the MoUs cover cooperation in the fields of health, sports, tourism, education and defence.

Accordingly:

1. MoU on Tourism Cooperation between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

2. MoU on Archiving Cooperation between the Department of National Archives of Sri Lanka and the National Archives of the Maldives was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

3. MoU on Training and Professional Development of Teachers and School Leaders between the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development of the Maldives and the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education of Sri Lanka was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

4. MoU on Sports and Youth Development Cooperation between the Republic of Maldives and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage.

5. MoU on Defence Cooperation between the National Counter Terrorism Centre of the Maldives and the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka was exchanged by the Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retired).

6. MoU between the Ministry of Defence and National Service of the Maldives and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University of Sri Lanka was exchanged by the Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad and the Vice Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Rear Admiral Dammika Kumara.

7. MoU on Academic Cooperation between the University of Colombo of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare of the Maldives was exchanged by Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Professor Indika Mahesh Karunathilake.

The state visit of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, undertaken at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, aims to further strengthen economic, cultural and social ties between the two countries, while enhancing their multifaceted partnership.

Cabinet Ministers, government officials and members of the Maldivian delegation, representing both Sri Lanka and the Maldives, were present at the occasion.

[President’s Media Division]