Ion Caltech Today
Construction and Parking
Construction progress of the Frank J. Malina Laboratory as of August 2026.
Parking and Traffic
- From June until the end of September, Metro's Bus Rapid Transit construction at Hill Avenue and Green Street will cause southbound and northbound lane reductions on Hill Avenue (Colorado Boulevard–Cordova Street) and eastbound reductions on Green Street. Construction runs Monday–Friday, 7am–4pm, though lane closures remain in place 24/7. Please plan extra travel time or use alternate routes during this ~3-month station build. Read the full construction notice for details.
Pedestrian Access
- From Saturday, September 26 through Friday, October 2, a large commercial film crew will be working at multiple locations on campus. While not all locations will be impacted on all days, the crew will have access over this period to Dabney Lounge and Gardens, Bechtel Mall, Morgan Library, and North Mudd Hall Laboratory. Production vehicles and equipment may also be staged around Ramo Auditorium and around the exterior and north side of Beckman Auditorium. Production vehicles will access campus along San Pasqual Walk. View the filming notice community announcement for more details.
Construction Impacts
- Frank J. Malina Laboratory for High-Speed Flight Dynamics: Construction on the south side of the Guggenheim Laboratory is ongoing.
- Ginsburg Center: Caltech obtained a Certificate of Occupancy for the building at the beginning of September.
- South Gate Plaza: Construction in the area has been completed and is open for access as of Friday, September 4.
Community Member Milestones
- Welcome to Caltech:
Deeksha Mohanty
Deeksha joined IPAC in August as an applications developer on the Data Science Team, where she will work on preparing large astronomical catalogs for scientific analysis and developing tools to help researchers access, explore, and derive scientific insights from the data. Prior to Caltech, she completed her M.S. in computer science at Michigan State University.
- Welcome to Caltech:
Elena Cazares
Elena joined Caltech in July as a business operations associate for the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, supporting the Caltech Optical Observatories team with procurements, onboarding, travel, expense reports, and more. She previously spent nearly a decade at JPL and will complete her MBA in project management from Mount Saint Mary's University this December.
- In memoriam:
Pam Koyzis
Pam, who dedicated 25 years of service to Caltech, passed away peacefully at her home on July 28, 2026, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 68 years old. The flag at Caltech Hall will be lowered from Wednesday, August 19, to Friday, August 21, to honor her.
- Welcome to Caltech:
Caitlyn Shen
Caitlyn recently joined Caltech as an undergraduate admissions counselor. She brings a communications background to higher education and enjoys helping tell the stories of Caltech's community while connecting with prospective students from around the world. Caitlyn previously spent nearly a decade in B2B tech, leading public relations, marketing, and social media initiatives for organizations including AT&T, Intel, Honeywell Aerospace, NeurIPS, and Silicon Labs.
- Celebrating a recognition:
Customer Service Excellence Cohort
26 Caltech staff members completed over 700 hours of in-person and live online training, earning certificates in customer service excellence and achieving a remarkable 100% completion rate. The Institute-tailored customer service excellence program was a pilot project by Caltech Facilities and Dale Carnegie Training.
- Welcome to Caltech:
Emily Henson
Emily recently joined Caltech’s Office of the President as director of presidential engagement, where she leads executive communications and speechwriting. She brings extensive experience in leadership communications and executive engagement, having served as deputy chief of staff to the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, and as chief communications strategist and speechwriter to the provost at Johns Hopkins University.
Resources
Update your contact information and download the emergency communications app, Everbridge, to receive necessary information in the event of an emergency on campus.
Browse the Sustainability Marketplace to find free office and lab supplies. You can save resources, reduce waste, and give useful items a second life on campus.
Caltech community members are eligible for a free Metro Pass that gives you unlimited rides on buses, rail lines, and local transit options, including convenient connections to campus.
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