George Avrunin

George Avrunin is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and an Adjunct Professor in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences. His research focuses on software engineering methodologies for analyzing and verifying distributed systems, human-intensive processes (e.g., medical and election procedures), and high-performance computing. He has pioneered techniques in finite-state verification and formal process modeling to enhance system safety and efficiency.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Mathematics, University of Michigan, 1976
• M.A. in Mathematics, University of Michigan, 1974
• B.S. in Mathematics, University of Michigan, 1972

Research Interests:
Analysis of concurrent systems, formal methods in healthcare processes, election security modeling, and applications of algebraic geometry in verification. His work emphasizes rigorously defined process models to reduce errors in safety-critical domains such as surgery and voting systems.

Key Contributions:
Developed specification patterns for finite-state verification, led the Western Massachusetts Mathematics Partnership to improve K-16 math education, and contributed to the ACM SIGSOFT Impact Award-winning paper on temporal logic patterns. His research has been funded by NSF, NIH, and other agencies.

Awards:
2006 ACM Distinguished Scientist, 2021 ACM SIGSOFT Impact Paper Award (for 1999 work).

Grants & Leadership:
Served as Associate Head and Head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and led NSF-funded initiatives in education and healthcare process analysis. Currently participates in the Western Massachusetts Mathematics Partnership’s K-16 Professional Learning Communities.

Labs/Teams:
Collaborates with the Laboratory for Advanced Software Engineering Research (LASER) and contributes to interdisciplinary teams in medical informatics and election security.