FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2002
FY02-28
James Reidy Receives ORAU Outstanding Leadership Award
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. -Professor James J. Reidy of the University of Mississippi received the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Outstanding Leadership Award at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Council of Sponsoring Institutions for his decades of enduring contributions to ORAU.
ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 86 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. Member institutions are those belonging to the consortium.
The award is given by ORAU to recognize 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 $10,000 award to sponsor a seminar on the subject of their choice.
Since 1987, Reidy, an internationally recognized research scientist, has made significant contributions to the mission of ORAU by nurturing cooperative programs between member institutions and national laboratories. One of Reidy’s many achievements in the academic arena is co-initiation and leadership of the Southern Association of High Energy Physics (SAHEP), a collaboration involving ORAU, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and 15 southern universities.
As chair of SAHEP from 1990 to 1996, Reidy worked closely with ORAU to establish a model under which $2.75 million in research funds were obtained from the Texas National Research Laboratory Commission, enabling the universities to leverage new tenure-track faculty positions, hire new technical support staff, and fund graduate student positions.
Reidy also assisted ORNL in establishing a detector development laboratory and group. And, he was also instrumental in the University of Mississippi becoming involved in plans for a neutrino research facility considered for development in conjunction with the Spallation Neutron Source.
Reidy’s leadership resulted in expanded opportunities for University of Mississippi and other faculty scientists through the country to become involved in cutting edge research focused on the nation’s top research and development priorities.