Topline:
Recently we found out LAist is full of film photography loving journalists. Here are several personal recommendations from our staff on where to go around Southern California for your film developing needs.
Why it matters: Finding the right film lab for yourself is an important part in film photography, according to Harvey Film Lab founder Kacie.
Read on:...to find your film photography home.
Before digital cameras and smartphones became ubiquitous it was film photography that reigned supreme. Back in the day that meant a trip to your local film processing store to get those negatives developed. Today a convenient alternative is the local CVS Photo Lab. They can get you scans and digital prints, but they no longer return your negatives.
So if you want those originals back, and for a chance to engage with your local photography scene – here are some independent film developing shops in L.A. and O.C. hand-picked by LAist’s photography-loving staff.
Powell Camera Shop
160 West Badillo Street
Covina, CA 91723
First up our General Assignment Reporter Destiny Torres frequents this San Gabriel Valley location.
What do they develop?
They take standard 35mm and medium format 120mm film and can use both C-41 and E-6 processing.
What’ll it cost me?
It varies depending on what you want back. Just developing the negatives will run you $9.99 before taxes. If you want color digital scans as well as prints: between $15 and 20 dollars. If you prefer black and white scans in addition to prints: between $22 and $32, according to Frankie Barron, a manager of Powell.
How long does it take to develop?
Your best bet is to go in person as Powell rarely accepts mail in negatives. It should take a week to get your photos back. The store doesn’t develop photos on site but sends them to professional developers at Swan Photo Labs in San Clemente.
Samy’s Camera
1759 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106
If you’ve ever been interested in cameras and you’ve spent some time in Pasadena chances are you’ve heard of Samy’s Camera. This recommendation comes from AirTalk producer Lucy Copp.
What do they develop?
The shop takes various film formats including 35mm, medium format 120mm. They can also develop 4 by 5 and 8 by 10 large format or sheet film.
What’ll it cost me?
35mm film will cost you $6 a roll for color, $8 a roll for black and white. For color photo scans in 35mm and 120mm the cost is around $12 for low resolution, $18 for medium resolution, and $25 for high resolution. Adding prints? For 24 photos it'll be between $9.96 and $10.83. Thirty-six photos will cost you between $13.44 and $13.73.
How long does it take to develop?
Negatives will take two to five business days. Prints and scans will take about a week to 10 days. Samy's lets you drop off negatives in store at their locations in Santa Ana, Pasadena and Fairfax. Negatives are sent to their photo lab in the Fairfax area for development, according to Pasadena employee Dana Mooradian. All 35mm and 120mm color film development is done at the Fairfax location. Black and white and large format are sent to the Icon lab in Los Angeles for development.
Analog Photomart
416 E 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Our Major Gifts Officer Malka Fenyvesi also frequents Samy’s, but recently she’s noticed a new store in Little Tokyo.
What do they develop?
The store is about a year old, owner Bryan Hong says they’re able to take color, black and white, and slide film in both 35 mm and 120mm.
What’ll it cost me?
Getting negatives developed will cost you $9. Add scans and the price goes up to $15 for low resolution, $18 for medium, and higher resolution for $23. Black and white development will cost a buck more across the board. 35mm prints will be $12 a roll. 120mm will cost the same for developing and scanning, but getting prints will only cost you $6.
How long does it take to develop?
This small neighborhood shop only accepts in store drop offs. They don’t do any business online. To get the scans to your e-mail takes 3 to 4 business days. To get negatives back it takes about a week, and up to 10 days for prints.
Berry Flash Photo Lab
11445 Jefferson Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230
AirTalk Senior Producer Lindsey Wright is also a Samy’s regular, but lately she’s been going to a spot on the Westside.
What do they develop?
Berry Flash has you covered when it comes to 35mm and 120 mm, in either color or black and white. Negatives-only for 110mm. For 35mm you can choose between two different film processes, E-6 or C-41.
What’ll it cost me?
Standard color C-41 35mm processing will cost you $9.99. 120mm processing will be $14.99. Scans plus negatives for 35mm is $19.99 for “social friendly scans.” They also offer higher resolutions at $24.99. 120mm starts at $24.99, and $29.99 for high res. According to Berry Flash lab technician Natalia Delgado, if you want prints too just tack on an extra $10.
How long does it take to develop?
If you drop off your film at the main lab location in Culver City typical turnaround time is 2 to 3 business days for color negatives. Up to 10 days for black and white. You can also mail in your photos to Berry Flash Photo Lab. Their P.O. Box for mailing in film is:
Berry Flash Photo Lab
3019 Ocean Park Blvd., #370
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Tuttle Cameras
5467 E. Carson St.
Long Beach, CA 90808
AirTalk associate producer Manny Valladares loves to hit up this Long Beach location for both film developing and film gear.
What do they develop?
Tuttle Cameras can handle 35mm, 120mm, and 110mm film. Store associate Julian Lee says they process color, black & white, and slide for all formats as well.
What’ll it cost me?
Developing your 35mm film will cost $8.25. Adding scans will be $18.50. Tuttle offers different size files. Scans larger than 12 mb will run about ten dollars more each. Prints will cost anywhere between $12 and $18 depending on the number of exposures you want.
How long does it take to develop?
To get your negative scans back it’ll take around 1 to 2 days on weekdays and 2 to 3 days on weekends. You can drop your film off or mail it directly to the store. Tuttle partners with local developer Fromex for film processing.
Bill’s Camera
6022 Warner Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Bill's an O.C. favorite that’s been around since 1971.
What do they develop?
According to lab manager Josh Ventura, Bill's can develop all color film in 35mm, 120mm and APS formats.
What’ll it cost me?
$6.50 for 35mm negatives and $7.50 for 120mm negatives. Add scans to those and it’ll be $13.95 for 35mm and $14.90 for 120mm. Including prints will cost you anywhere between an additional $13 and $16 depending on the roll and the format.
How long does it take to develop?
Ventura says the typical turnaround time for the negatives is 24 hours. 120mm will take two days. You are also able to mail your negatives into the shop. All color film development is done on site. Black and white film is sent to a third party.
The Frida Cinema/Harvey Film Lab
305 E 4th St #100
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Sticking with Orange County for our final recommendation. Why not see a movie as you drop off your negatives? The one-person development operation Harvey Film Lab has a drop box at Orange County’s only independent art house theater.
What do they develop?
Kacie from Harvey Film Lab says they can develop 35mm and 120mm film, in both color and black & white.
What’ll it cost me?
Basic scans for 35mm will start at $14.70, which includes getting your negatives back too. If you want prints it’ll be an additional $14.99.
How long does it take to develop?
Film is developed exclusively on site and takes one to 7 business days. You can mail your film to them directly, or purchase services online then head over to the Frida Cinema for drop off. For pick-up you can go in-person or have them mailed to you.
That’s it! Go forth and take your pictures! But remember to get your film developed as soon as possible for the best looking photos.
Topline
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has missed nearly 3,000 votes since she was first elected in 2020, according to an analysis by LAist, a number that has been criticized by her opponent in the upcoming mayoral race.
The details: A closer look at data from the L.A. city clerk reveals Raman ranks in the middle of the pack of the 15-member council when it comes to votes missed. She was eighth among her colleagues when it came to votes missed so far this year. Last year she ranked third. In 2024, she ranked sixth.
The vast majority of those votes were unanimous or near unanimous among the other council members, meaning her vote on those matters would not have changed the outcomes.
Criticism: The campaign of her mayoral opponent incumbent Karen Bass has stressed that the missed votes matter. "This isn't just missing a few votes, it's about six years of Nithya Raman not showing up — for constituents wanting encampments outside of schools cleaned up or voting to make it cheaper to film here,” said Alex Stack, Bass’ campaign spokesperson.
Conflicting meetings: Raman’s campaign said she was officially excused from many of the meetings because she was appointed to represent L.A. on the board of the Air Quality Management District, which is charged with reducing local air pollution and improving public health. Bass appointed her to the board.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has missed nearly 3,000 votes since she was first elected in 2020, according to an analysis by LAist — a number that has been criticized by her opponent in the upcoming mayoral race.
A closer look at data from the L.A. city clerk reveals Raman ranks in the middle of the pack of the 15-member council when it comes to votes missed. She was eighth among her colleagues when it came to votes missed so far this year.
Last year she ranked third. In 2024, she ranked sixth.
The vast majority of those votes were unanimous or near-unanimous among the other council members, meaning her vote on those matters would not have changed the outcomes.
Still, the campaign of her mayoral opponent — incumbent Karen Bass — has stressed that the missed votes matter.
"This isn't just missing a few votes, it's about six years of Nithya Raman not showing up — for constituents wanting encampments outside of schools cleaned up or voting to make it cheaper to film here,” said Alex Stack, Bass’ campaign spokesperson.
“If you don't show up for your job, you shouldn't get a promotion," he said.
Bass brought up Raman’s City Council meeting absences during a debate earlier this month, and the campaign has since set up a website, titled NoShowNithya, devoted to highlighting those absences.
Raman’s campaign said she was officially excused from many of the meetings because she was appointed to represent L.A. on the Air Quality Management District board, which is charged with reducing local air pollution and improving public health.
Those meetings happened at the same time as some council meetings. The board meets on the last Friday of every month. The City Council meets three times a week — on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
“The data shows that Nithya’s attendance is in line with other council members,” said campaign spokesperson Liz Garcia. “These desperate attacks from Mayor Bass will not distract Nithya from campaigning to make LA a city that works and is affordable for everyone."
City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian has missed the most votes so far this year — 393 — compared to Raman, who was ranked eighth at 233. Last year, Councilmember Monica Rodriguez ranked first with 631 and Raman ranked third with 556.
In 2024, Rodriguez ranked first with 741. Raman ranked sixth with 575.
Bass isn’t the only one who believes this is an issue.
“Attendance at meetings isn't ceremonial,” said Pomona College Associate Professor of Politics Sara Sadhwani. “It’s where amendments and laws get shaped, it's where budgets get fought over and it's where constituents' priorities either make it into policy or they don’t. So missing that work means missing those leverage points.”
“Generally, the expectation is that you show up for work,” she added.
In January, Bass removed Raman from the Air Quality Management District AQMD board, a role she’d been serving in since 2022 when she was appointed by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Nazarian was appointed to the air quality board to replace Raman.
As for Raman’s absences, her campaign sought to turn the tables on Bass. It pointed to the incumbent’s absences from commission meetings of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Since joining, the mayor has skipped more than half of the meetings held by the L.A. Homeless Services Authority Commission, according to an LAist review of attendance records, despite the mayor’s insistence that homelessness is her No. 1 issue.
The Raman campaign also pointed to Bass’ absence during the early hours of the Palisades Fire when she was on a diplomatic trip to Ghana.
"This is ironic coming from a mayor who was missing during our city’s most devastating emergencies [and] failed to show up for more than half of LAHSA homelessness meetings,” Garcia said.
Bass’ office told LAist that, regardless of her attendance record, she has kept up to date on what LAHSA has been doing. The regional agency is responsible for managing the region’s homelessness response.
Earlier this month, following LAist’s reporting, Bass announced she was stepping down from the LAHSA Commission.
“It cuts both ways, and it's a reminder that both of these candidates are political insiders and have a track record with the city,” Sadhwani said.
The issue of missed meetings points to another question: Does the City Council meet too often? The city charter mandates that the panel meet three times a week. Its counterpart on the county level — the Board of Supervisors — meets once a week even though its budget is far larger.
In addition to deciding who will be L.A.’s mayor, voters in November will decide whether the number of mandated weekly City Council meetings should be modified. The council has placed a proposed change to the city charter that would require only one meeting per week.
Topline:
The winners of the 2026 Emmy Awards were announced Monday night for shows that aired between June 2025 and May 2026.
The context: Last year's winner for best drama, The Pitt, was up against Pluribus, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Diplomat, and more. On the comedy side, two Apple TV newcomers — Widow's Bay and Margo's Got Money Troubles — were up against a slate of returning nominees including Hacks, nominated for its fifth and final season, and The Bear, nominated for its fourth season.
Read on... for an updated list of winners as they're announced.
Updated September 14, 2026 at 21:26 PM ET
Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay is hosting the Emmy Awards on Monday night. The ceremony is on NBC and Peacock starting at 8 p.m. PT, 5 p.m. ET.
Last year's winner for best drama, The Pitt, is up against Pluribus, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Diplomat, and more. On the comedy side, two Apple TV newcomers — Widow's Bay and Margo's Got Money Troubles — are up against a slate of returning nominees including Hacks, nominated for its fifth and final season, and The Bear, nominated for its fourth season. (Eligible shows aired between June 2025 and May 2026.)
Noah Kahan is set to perform "Bridge Over Troubled Water" for the In Memoriam segment.
We'll be updating this page with winners in bold as they come in.
Outstanding writing for a comedy series
WINNER: Katie Dippold, Widow's Bay
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Tim Robinson, Zach Kanin, The Chair Company
Michael Patrick King, Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky, Hacks
Anthony King, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series
WINNER: Matthew Rhys, Widow's Bay
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
Steve Carell, Rooster
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie
WINNER: Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Claire Danes, The Beast In Me
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series
WINNER: Tom Pelphrey, Task
Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
Carlos Manuel-Vesga, Pluribus
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series
WINNER: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Outstanding reality competition program
WINNER: The Traitors
Dancing With the Stars
RuPaul's Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series
WINNER: Stephen Root, Widow's Bay
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Nick Offerman, Margo's Got Money Troubles
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series
WINNER: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Zendaya, Euphoria
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series
WINNER: Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
Outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie
WINNER: Matthew Rhys, The Beast In Me
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, Beef
Outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie
WINNER: Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault
Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis
Youn Yuh-jung, Beef
Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Outstanding supporting actor in a limited or anthology series or movie
WINNER: David Harbour, DTF St. Louis
Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis
Charles Melton, Beef
Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, Margo's Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series
WINNER: Kate O'Flynn, Widow's Bay
Dale Dickey, Widow's Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo's Got Money Troubles
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Outstanding comedy series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Nobody Wants This
Hacks
Margo's Got Money Troubles
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Widow's Bay
Outstanding directing for a comedy series
Randall Einhorn, Abbott Elementary
Christopher Storer, The Bear
Andrew DeYoung, The Chair Company
Lucia Aniello, Hacks
Mary Lou Belli, The Ms. Pat Show
Hiro Murai, Widow's Bay
Outstanding drama series
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
The Pitt
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Your Friends and Neighbors
Outstanding directing for a drama series
Salli Richardson-Whitfield, The Gilded Age
Hanelle M. Culpepper, Paradise
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Vince Gilligan, Pluribus
Saul Metzstein, Slow Horses
Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Task
Outstanding writing for a drama series
Peter Ackerman, Debora Cahn, The Diplomat
Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman, R. Scott Gemmill, The Pitt
Valerie Chu, The Pitt
Vince Gilligan, Pluribus
Will Smith, Slow Horses
Brad Ingelsby, Task
Outstanding limited or anthology series
All Her Fault
The Beast In Me
Beef
DTF St. Louis
Love Story
Outstanding variety series
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
Copyright 2026 NPR
Topline:
The Supreme Court has sided against President Donald Trump, rejecting his efforts to enact new mail-in voting restrictions for the midterm election.
The context: The ruling released Monday by the high court means the U.S. Postal Service is expected to continue delivering ballots as usual. Voting by mail has already begun in states including Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin, with more soon to follow — including Western states such as Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, where elections are held primarily or fully with mail ballots.
Why it matters: Under the still-blocked USPS plan, which followed an executive order by Trump, states would have had to turn over lists of voters' names and addresses and have certain specific barcodes on ballot envelopes in order to have them delivered by the mailing agency.
How we got here: Earlier this month, a federal judge in Boston had issued a preliminary injunction against USPS, blocking the mailing agency from imposing those new ballot requirements on states. The judge found the requirements are likely illegal because the Postal Service has no authority to control mail-in voting. Now, a majority of the Supreme Court decided to keep that injunction in place.
Updated September 14, 2026 at 21:18 PM ET
The Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, rejecting his efforts to enact new mail-in voting restrictions for the midterm election.
The ruling released Monday by the high court means the U.S. Postal Service is expected to continue delivering ballots as usual.
Voting by mail has already begun in states including Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin, with more soon to follow — including Western states such as Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, where elections are held primarily or fully with mail ballots.
Under the still-blocked USPS plan, which followed an executive order by Trump, states would have had to turn over lists of voters' names and addresses and have certain specific barcodes on ballot envelopes in order to have them delivered by the mailing agency.
Earlier this month, a federal judge in Boston issued a preliminary injunction against USPS, blocking it from imposing those new ballot requirements on states. The judge found the requirements are likely illegal because the Postal Service has no authority to control mail-in voting. A second federal judge issued another preliminary injunction late Sunday.
Now, a majority of the Supreme Court decided to keep that injunction in place. The court said the Trump administration was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge.
Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a short concurring opinion, saying "there is at least a fair prospect that the final rule falls within the Postal Service's statutory authority." But, he added, "applying the rule in the 2026 elections would be arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections."
Indeed several Republican state election officials, including from the mostly vote-by-mail state of Utah, signed on to a Supreme Court brief, warning that any attempt to carry out the USPS plan now "will almost certainly lead to mistakes, delays, and confusion for both voters and election officials."
Conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the order, and would have granted the administration's request to pause the Boston-based judge's ruling.
While the USPS plan remains paused for the midterms, the legal fight will likely continue over how the agency may try to implement it for future federal elections.
For now, challengers of the proposal are celebrating their victory.
"Today, the Supreme Court refused to allow the federal government to throw our elections into chaos just weeks before Election Day. The Postal Service exists to deliver Americans' mail — not to rewrite election rules, demand voters' personal information, or decide which ballots make it through the system," Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters, said in a statement.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James said in a separate statement that she was "truly relieved" by the high court's ruling.
"Voters should never have to wonder whether a ballot they legally cast will be counted because the federal government suddenly changed the rules," said James, whose state was among the 24 mainly Democratic-led states that sued alongside Washington, D.C. "We will keep fighting to make sure every eligible ballot is counted come November. Now, I encourage all eligible Americans to get out and vote — and vote early."
Trump said he issued the call for USPS to change its rule for mail ballots as a way to stop illegal voting by non-U.S. citizens, a problem that many studies and audits show is extremely uncommon. For this legal fight over the USPS plan, the administration's lawyers have provided the courts with no evidence of mail-voting fraud.
Trump has been a vocal critic of the way about one-third of voters cast ballots in the last two federal elections. In 2024, the share of voters who reported casting ballots by mail was higher among Democrats (37%) than Republicans (24%), according to a national survey by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab.
In a social media post last year, Trump said he is "going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS" and claimed that "ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING."
This year, Trump himself voted by mail in Florida.
Editor's note: USPS is a financial supporter of NPR.
Edited by Benjamin Swasey
Copyright 2026 NPR
Topline:
Ray Jayawardhana — or Ray Jay for short — has served as Caltech's president officially since the beginning of July. His expertise in astrophysics, coupled with extensive experience in university administration, is what he's using to lead the school while continuing his own research. He sat down with AirTalk, LAist 89.3's daily news show, saying he's optimistic about the school's future and relationship with the Jet Propulsion Lab.
Why it matters: NASA — which now owns and sponsors JPL — is opening its contracting to other research institutions for the first time, which could mean a bidding war. Losing the contract for Caltech would mean losing a stream of federal funding valued at $3 billion per year.
What's next? Jayawardhana said he’s confident Caltech and JPL’s partnership will continue, saying that the university's value proposition is unrivaled. NASA’s current contract with Caltech expires in September 2028.
Listen to the full conversation with Caltech's new president
Ray Jayawardhana, a seasoned astrophysicist and university administrator, officially took over as Caltech’s 10th president on July 1.
The newly appointed president sat down with Larry Mantle on AirTalk, LAist 89.3’s daily news program, to talk about his plans for the future of the esteemed university.
Jayawardhana, who goes by “Ray Jay,” told Larry he was always interested in the cosmos growing up.
He shared that, as a teenager in Sri Lanka, he wrote to the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) — NASA's leading space exploration center, which is managed by Caltech — to ask for images from the Voyager space missions they were conducting during the 1980s.
“I waited impatiently for a response, and one day, this large envelope with an oversized wheel of books arrived with a set of images of the outer planets and their moons,” he said. “That just delighted me to no end.”
Today, he’s the first South Asian American to lead Caltech, overseeing the operations of the same Jet Propulsion Lab he wrote to in the '80s.
After attending St. John’s College in Sri Lanka, he decided to pursue higher education in the United States. He earned an undergraduate degree from Yale and subsequently his doctorate in astronomy from Harvard, quickly establishing himself as one of the world’s most renowned astrophysicists.
He previously held positions at Cornell University and Johns Hopkins.
Aside from his main focus as the school’s head of administration, Ray Jay continues his own research exploring the formation of planets and stars, saying it keeps him intellectually engaged.
He's part of a team that works with the James Webb Space Telescope to observe and characterize so-called exoplanets — planets around other stars — with an eye toward the potential for life beyond Earth.
Universities like Caltech are on rocky terrain amid sweeping federal government cuts of public funding for scientific research.
Additionally, JPL's future is uncertain. NASA — which now owns and sponsors JPL — is opening its contracting to other research institutions for the first time, which could mean a bidding war.
Losing the contract for Caltech would mean losing a stream of federal funding valued at $3 billion per year.
Jayawardhana said he’s confident Caltech and JPL’s partnership will continue, saying that the university's value proposition is unrivaled.
“It’s not only about the self-interest in continuing to ensure there's federal and public funding for research, it's also about enriching humanity,” he said.
NASA’s current contract with Caltech expires in September 2028.
