30 YEARS OF COSMIC BROTHERHOOD • EST. 1996
ALUMNI
GUILD
ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION OF VIDYARTHA COLLEGE
Uniting generations of stargazers, past presidents, senior observers, and medalists from 1996 to 2026. Connecting the pioneers of yesterday with the future leaders of space science.
Alumni Directory
The Global Network of Vidyartha Astronomers
Dr. Danushka Weeraratne
President (2005/06)Postdoctoral Astrophysicist & Researcher
@ Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Eng. Tharindu Wijesinghe
Chief Technical Officer & Secretary (2011/12)Lead Satellite Systems Engineer
@ Airbus Defence and Space
Dr. Kanishka Jayasundara, MD
Senior Astronomical Observer (2008/09)Radiologist & Medical Imaging AI Fellow
@ National Hospital of Sri Lanka
Supun Wickramasinghe
President (2017/18)Senior Machine Learning Engineer
@ Databricks
Heshan Ranasinghe
Vice President (2014/15)Senior Optical Instrumentation Scientist
@ Australian National University (Mount Stromlo)
Kasun Jayawardena
President (2010/11)Director of Technology & Cloud Infrastructure
@ Virtusa / WSO2 Alumnus
Ravindu Herath
President (2018/19)Doctoral Researcher in Quantum Optics
@ National University of Singapore (CQT)
Bimalka Gunasekara
Senior Observational Committee Lead (2020/21)Aerospace Avionics Developer
@ Vega Innovations / DroneLabs
Roll of Honor
Presidential Lineage & 30-Year Milestones (1996 — 2026)
Pioneer Council (Founding Year)
MIC: Mr. K.B. Dissanayake
Sanath Senanayake
MIC: Mr. P.G. Jayasundara
Dr. Danushka Weeraratne
MIC: Mrs. N. Damayanthi
Kasun Jayawardena
MIC: Mr. R.M. Chandrasena
Nuwan Bandara
MIC: Mrs. S.K. Karunaratne
Ravindu Herath
MIC: Mr. H.M. Wijekoon
Sachintha Dilshan
MIC: Mr. D.M. Senavirathna
Chamath Rathnayake
MIC: Mr. S.P. Ekanayake
Maleesha Rashmina Weerappuli
MIC: Mr. S.P. Ekanayake
Alumni Chronicles
Voices Across Aerospace, Research, and High-Tech
Dr. Danushka Weeraratne
Garching / Munich, Germany
Postdoctoral Astrophysicist & Researcher
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Specializing in high-redshift galaxy evolution and active galactic nuclei (AGN). Began astronomy with late-night binocular sessions on Vidyartha's college roof.
VCA² Memoir
"Observing Saturn's rings with our homemade 4.5" reflector during the 2004 Hanthana night camp. That single view decided my lifetime career."
Eng. Tharindu Wijesinghe
Stevenage, United Kingdom
Lead Satellite Systems Engineer
Airbus Defence and Space
Spacecraft propulsion and attitude determination specialist. Alumnus of University of Peradeniya and University of Surrey Space Centre.
VCA² Memoir
"Organizing AstroQuest 2011. Calibrating the quiz buzzer system using old relay circuits in our college physics lab."
Supun Wickramasinghe
San Francisco, CA, United States
Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Databricks
Distributed AI and deep learning practitioner. First Class Honours from University of Moratuwa. Passionate about machine learning applied to celestial spectroscopy.
VCA² Memoir
"The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse live broadcast we organized in the college auditorium with live satellite feed decoding."
Heshan Ranasinghe
Canberra, Australia
Senior Optical Instrumentation Scientist
Australian National University (Mount Stromlo)
Design of adaptive optics systems for large ground-based telescopes. Grinding optical glass since Grade 9 at Vidyartha College.
VCA² Memoir
"Hand-polishing an 8-inch Pyrex telescope mirror over 3 months with carborundum grit in the college chemistry store."
Next-Gen Fellowship
Mentoring Current Vidyartha College Astronomers
Olympiad & Quiz Shield Coaching
Mentorship for Sri Lanka Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad (SLAAO) and International Olympiad (IOAA) by past national medalists.
University & International Scholarships
Admissions guidance, CV review, and recommendation navigation for international STEM institutions.
Frontier STEM & High-Tech Careers
AMA sessions with alumni currently working in aerospace engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, and medical imaging.
Optics, Telescopes & Astrophotography
Workshops on mirror grinding, CCD deep sky tracking, computerized mounts, and planetary imaging.
Become a Guild Mentor
Share your expertise with aspiring school students. Flag your availability in the directory to participate in student webinars or guidance sessions.
Request Guidance
Submit your inquiry to be connected with an alumnus in your field of interest.
30th Jubilee Grand Star Party
December 19, 2026 • Astronomical Terrace, Kandy
VCA² 30th Jubilee Grand Star Party & Alumni Gala
Marking 30 years of stargazing (1996 - 2026). A landmark evening uniting all past batches, founding masters-in-charge, and present cadets for dark sky observation, commemorative banquet, and inauguration of the Digital Observatory.
Countdown to Stargazing
Observatory Modernization
Jubilee Equipment Endowment Project (1996 — 2026)
Vidyartha College Observatory Modernization (1996–2026 Jubilee Project)
Transforming the College Astronomical Observatory into Central Province's first remote-accessible student research observatory with robotic motorized dome tracking, hydrogen-alpha solar telescope, and deep-sky cooled CMOS cameras.
Alumni Patronage
Audited under College Administration and Master-in-Charge. All patrons are commemorated on the permanent Observatory Benefactors Plaque.
Remittance receipts & inquiries:
treasurer@astrovck.lk