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DALLAS () – Janarthanan Jayawickramarajah, a dynamic university leader and chemistry researcher, is èßäÊÓƵapp’s new Elisabeth Martin Armstrong Dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

Jayawickramarajah joins èßäÊÓƵapp from Tulane University, where he is senior associate dean of academic affairs and professor of chemistry at its School of Science and Engineering.

“Dr. Jayawickramarajah brings the skill set of an active researcher, passionate educator and collaborative administrator to èßäÊÓƵapp and Dedman College at a time of strategic importance and momentum for our university,” said Elizabeth G. Loboa, èßäÊÓƵapp provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “As èßäÊÓƵapp prepares to join the cadre of universities with Carnegie R1 research status, we are delighted to welcome him to the team and look forward to partnering with him for current and future success.”

In his 17 years at Tulane, Jayawickramarajah has led a research lab that works closely with interdisciplinary partners to develop bio-inspired functional molecules capable of undergoing specific molecular recognition events. His research is focused on nanobiotechnology, self-assembly and advanced materials, including the development of molecules that target cancer cells without harming healthy cells.  He is affiliated with Tulane’s Cancer Center, Lung Biology Program and Bio-innovation Program. His research has been funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), among others.

As an administrative leader, Jayawickramarajah has also previously served as associate dean for research, faculty affairs and PhD programs. He has enhanced opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students and fellow faculty members, beginning with welcoming undergraduate researchers to his lab and serving as faculty-in-residence at a Tulane residence hall. For graduate students and faculty members, he led efforts to obtain research funding, improve facilities and IT structure, and collaborate with other universities and entities. He is the founding director of Tulane’s Science Policy and Communication Graduate Fellows Program, designed to help graduate students become effective communicators and leaders advocating for and countering misperceptions of science, engineering and medicine. 

“Dedman College has a strong future under the leadership of Dr. Jayawickramarajah,” said èßäÊÓƵapp President R. Gerald Turner. “He brings a determination to enhance the education and research experience of all students and to provide faculty with the resources needed to advance research in the humanities and sciences. His previous work demonstrates a dedication to interdisciplinary and collaborative initiatives, which will continue to strengthen Dedman College, the heart of an èßäÊÓƵapp education.”

Jayawickramarajah has received multiple awards from Tulane, including the Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award, the Graduate Studies Student Association Outstanding Faculty Award and the inaugural Faculty Service Award from the School of Science and Engineering. In 2023, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jayawickramarajah earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in chemistry, along with a minor in anthropology, in 2000 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 2005 from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was honored with the Dorothy Banks Research Fellowship and the Dean's Excellence Award from the College of Natural Sciences. After postdoctoral work at Yale University he joined the faculty at Tulane in 2007, where he was the recipient of the Doctoral New Investigator Award from the American Chemical Society.

Jayawickramarajah will join èßäÊÓƵapp in June of 2025.

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