King Sasanka – Sri Lankan Writer & Retired Aviation Professional.

From Sri Lanka to the Stars: Meet Caltech’s Next President, Dr. Ray Jayawardhana The scientific world is buzzing with the news that Dr. Ray Jayawardhana, currently the Provost of Johns Hopkins University, has been named the next President of Caltech.  On July 1, he will step into one of the most prestigious roles in global academia, leading the institution that manages NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Roots & Lineage: A Childhood Spark Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Ray’s journey began not in a high-tech lab, but under the vast night skies of his island home.  He often recounts walking with his father as a young boy, gazing at the moon and stars—a simple ritual that sparked a lifelong obsession with the cosmos. Early Ambition: As a 17-year-old in Colombo, he launched a successful one-man campaign to have Sri Lanka issue a postage stamp commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Moon landing. Education: He attended St. John’s College and Royal College in Colombo before...