Professor Sudath Rajendra Deshapriya Kalingamudali assumed duties as the 15^th Dean of the Faculty of Science, for the second consecutive term, for three years on 3 January 2023.

The Maha Sanga, Venerable Senior Chair Professor Nabirittankadawara Gnanaratana Thero, Venerable Senior Professor Induragare Dhammaratana Thero, Venerable Senior Professor Makuruppe Dhammananda Thero, Venerable Professor Malwane Chandaratana Thero, and Venerable Dr Kapugollawe Anandakiththi Thero chanted Seth Pirith while Professor Kalingamudali assumed duties. Professor Kalingamudali is the first Physics alumnus of the Faculty to be its Dean. Furthermore, he is the only person elected for a second term through an election at the Faculty of Science.

This ceremony was graced by the Vice-Chancellor, Deans of Faculties, Registrar, Librarian, Bursar, Heads of Departments, Senior Professors, Professors, Senior Lecturers, Lecturers and non-academic staff members of the University.

Professor Kalingamudali had his Primary and Secondary Education at Wesley College, Colombo. He obtained his BSc (Special) degree in Physics with First Class Honours from the University of Kelaniya (UOK) in 1990 and earned his PhD from the University of Sheffield in 1994 under an open Commonwealth Scholarship. He has won the Fulbright Fellowship twice, a rare achievement for an academic, and served as a Visiting Professor at two USA universities, namely Georgia State University and Louisiana State University. He was a keen Hockey player at UoK and was awarded University Colours for Hockey in 1985 and 1986. Since 2015, he has been a Senior Professor in the Department Physics and Electronics at UOK and was the 1^st Physics alumnus of UOK who achieved this milestone.

He is a Chartered Scientist, a Chartered Engineer and a Chartered Physicist. He is a Fellow of two reputed international scientific institutions in the UK, the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET), and the Institute of Physics (IOP), which is also an uncommon achievement for a Sri Lankan Physicist. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, Sri Lanka (IPSL).

He was elected as the Dean of the Faculty of Science for his first three-year term and assumed duties on 3 January 2020. He became the Head of the Department in 2004, served for over 6 years on 3 occasions, and was the Founder Director of the Research and Services Centre of the Faculty of Science for over 3 years. Presently, he is the Chairman of the Sports Advisory Board since 2014 and the Project Director of the Solar Edu-Training programme of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research since 2017. Also, he has served as a Peer Reviewer (International and National) for subject and programme review processes.

He has held many positions in professional institutions. These include Controller for the Subject of Physics of the GCE (A/L) Examination August 2019 for both new and old syllabuses, President and Vice President of IPSL, Secretary/International relations, Secretary/Section E1, and Secretary/Science and Technology Advisory Committee of SLAAS; and President/Alumni Association of Faculty of Science, UOK. He has also been a member of evaluation/selection panels for professorial promotions as UGC/Senate nominee, Chartered Physicist evaluation panel of IOP, Presidential Task Force and Sri Lankan National Vocational Training Council. He has participated in more than 40 workshops/seminars as a resource person, has organised more than 20 educational workshops, conducted more than 35 general lectures on electronics for secondary school teachers and students, and participated as the Chief Guest/Guest of Honour in more than 20 educational events including the Annual Prize Giving 2012 of his Alma Mater.

His main research interests are designing and developing electronic circuits for various applications and has published/presented over 55 research papers, entitled for a PCT, 4 Sri Lankan Patents and 2 Industrial Designs. He played an instrumental role in partnering with OREL Corporation (Pvt) Ltd to license an innovative product, "Remotely Controllable Regulator Connected in Series with Resistive and Inductive Loads", which was another first in the University of Kelaniya's history.