Carl Grillmair, an astronomer at Caltech’s IPAC science and data center for astronomy and planetary science, died on February 16. He was 67. His death has shaken the Caltech community, where colleagues remember as both a creative scientist and a foundational member of IPAC’s research programs.
On the night of February 21, Dabney Hovse welcomed students across campus for its Lunar New Year-themed Interhovse celebration. The courtyard centerpiece was a striking red dome topped with gold, glowing from within with shifting colored lights that illuminated the space throughout the night.
Thanks to the Interhouse Committee, Caltech’s Pi Day tradition rose again this year — a very Caltech study break for a very Caltech finals season. The well-rounded celebration happened right on schedule at 1:59 a.m. on March 14, where night-owl pi(e) enthusiasts converged in the Ricketts-Fleming courtyard for an event that was, by all measures, irrationally extravagant.
Venerable House hosted its annual Interhouse party on the night of February 28, continuing into the early morning hours of March 1, transforming the Venerable Courtyard into a Spider-Verse-inspired celebration.
On February 12, CDS celebrated Black History Month in Browne Dining Hall with a wide-ranging menu featuring soyrizo mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken and sausage gumbo (with a tofu option), BBQ jackfruit riblets, fried okra, jerk chicken and yams, shrimp grits (or tofu), chicken and waffles (with a vegetarian option), banana pudding, and biscuits. Themed décor added to the celebratory atmosphere.
Dr. Jordan Shlain, who presented to the Caltech Longevity Club on January 28, framed his work as a form of moral friction: a refusal, throughout his career, to accept incentives that reward sickness over health. A physician-entrepreneur and civic leader in San Francisco, Shlain has built his companies and philosophy around a single organizing principle: trust.
Parker Thompson, a second-year undergraduate studying applied and computational mathematics, Secretary of ASCIT, and a peer advocate, passed away on February 3, 2026. He was 19.
There is a chill passing through Caltech. Over the past year, the foundations of U.S. education, research, and democracy have been systematically targeted by the Trump administration.
