Avignone was instrumental in bringing the need for a large neutrino detector at the Spallation Neutron Source to national attention by leading the Oak Ridge Laboratory for Neutrino Detectors (ORLaND) collaboration under the sponsorship of ORAU.

Avignone also was a co-organizer and founding member of the University Isotope Separator at Oak Ridge (UNISOR), a collaborative research project at the Holifield Accelerator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the auspices of ORAU.

A pioneer in neutrino and cold dark matter research, Avignone has a long history of service with ORAU. He has been a member of more than 15 ORAU committees and was elected committee chair many times. He served on the ORAU council for 19 years and is a current member of the ORAU board of directors.

Avignone earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He joined the faculty of USC in 1965 and served as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy until 1998 when he retired and was appointed as the first Carolina Endowed Professor at the University.

The Outstanding Leadership Award recognizes individuals from member institutions who have demonstrated sustained leadership and support of ORAU activities involving member universities and/or national laboratories. Winners receive a plaque and a $10,000 award to sponsor a seminar on the subject of their choice.

ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.

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