Michael Agamalian known to friends as "Misha" passed away peacefully at his home in Oak Ridge on Saturday February 9, 2019 at age of 72 after fighting cancer for two and a half years.

Michael was born to Mikhail Tigranovich Agamalyan and Amana Misakovna Akulian of Armenian nationality on June 20, 1946, in Tbilisi, Georgia, former USSR. He obtained his PhD in Physics in St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Russia.  He started his career in Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute

After moving to the USA and working in the Brookhaven and Argonne National Laboratory, Michael worked as a Lead Instrument Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for about 20 years. His outstanding contributions to neutron scattering physics is best illustrated by his discovery of a new dynamical diffraction effect, the so-called "neutron camel".  He made important contributions to the development of neutron scattering instrumentation at ORNL, particularly the Ultra-Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (USANS) instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source

Michael received two international awards for his research, the A. Guinier Prize from the International Union of Crystallography (2002), and the Arnold O. Beckman Award from the International Society of Instrumentation and Control (1999).

Outside of a successful career, he lived his balanced life.  He had a passion for tennis and a healthy lifestyle. He was a very supportive and caring friend, always ready to help and to tell a joke with his unique sense of humor.

Receiving of friends will be 11:30-1:00 pm, Saturday, February 16, 2019 at St. Anne Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge, TN.  His funeral service will follow at 1:00 pm with Father Steven officiating.  Michael's graveside will follow his funeral at Oak Ridge Memorial Park. Holley Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is in charge of all arrangements.  holleygamble.com