R. Kumaravadivel
Professor Rajaratnam Kumaravadivel is a Sri Lankan Tamil physicist, academic, former dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna and former acting vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna. Early life. Kumaravadivel joined the University of Ceylon, graduating in 1967 with first class honours BSc degree. He was also the first to receive both a first class honours degree specialising in physics (1970) and the Hewavitharana memorial prize for best performance in Physics from the University of Ceylon. He then received a PhD degree from the University of Bristol in 1975 after producing a thesis titled "Theory  of Thermodynamic Properties of Liquid Metals” Career. Kumaravadivel served as a lecturer at the Department of Physics, Peradeniya Campus of the University of Sri Lanka between January 1978 and January 1979. He served as Head of the Department of Physics, University of Jaffna for three terms: February 1985 to February 1988; March 1991 to June 1991; and April 1994 to November 1999. He also lead the Computer Unit at the University from August 1989 to October 1990 during its formative years. During this time he also held several research fellowships. He was appointed as an associate member of the International  Center for Theoretical Physics from 1982-1987 and 1989-1995 and a visiting scientist at the same institute from 1983-1984. He also obtained a Commonwealth fellowship to work as a visiting professor at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge in 1990. Kumaravadivel later was appointed as dean of the Faculty of Science from November 1999 to July 2010. He was the University Grants commission nominee for the vice-chancellorship of the University of Jaffna three consecutive times in 2000, 2003 and 2006. He was appointed as acting vice-chancellor of the university between June 2006 and December 2007 after  the nominee Ratnajeevan Hoole failed to take up his post. After retirement Kumaravadivel served as the member of the University Grants Commission (Sri Lanka) from May 2015 -January 2020. He is currently an emeritus professor of Physics at the University of Jaffna