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The Royal Microscopical Society Awards Its Most Prestigious Honor to David B. Williams and C. Barry Carter!
/in Awards, MAS Fellows, News Item /by avdhandtLehigh Microscopy School 2020
/in News Item /by avdhandtNikki Rump
2020 Microscopy Today Micrograph Awards Competition Deadline Approaching!
/in News Item /by avdhandtLess than 30 days left to submit your entries for the 2020 Microscopy Today Micrograph Awards Competition! The competition, open to all types of microscopy, is divided into three categories: published, open, and video. The submission deadline is February 21, 2020.
Visit microscopy.org/MTMA for full details!
2019 MAS Election Results
/in Leadership /by WebbyThe MAS is excited to announce the results of its 2019 election results. By vote of the members of the MAS, Chad Parish has been overwhelmingly re-elected as Secretary. Our new directors for the three year term are Michelle Thompson of Purdue University and William (Will) Bowman of the University of California, Irvine. The new directors will replace Roseann Csencsits and Emma Bullock who are rotating off council after their three year stint. Emma Bullock will continue her service to the society by taking over from Mike Nagorka as the Chair of the Membership Committee.
In addition, all of the changes to the By-Laws passed. In general, they reflect changes in how the society is managed, replacing the corporate seal with corporate letterhead and defining eligibility for becoming a Fellow of the Society. The details are below.
Thank you to everyone who voted and to the individuals on council and the committees who through their service help to make the MAS a vibrant “member run” society.
Changes to the MAS By-Laws (changes are in bold-italics)
ARTICLE I
Offices
The Principal office of the Society shall be located with the Treasurer for the Society. The Society may also have an office or officers at such other places as the Executive Council may from time to time designate.
ARTICLE II
Corporate Letterhead
The Corporate Letterhead used for business documents shall include the name of the Society, the year of its incorporation, the words “incorporated in New York“, AND THE SOCIETY FEDERAL EIN (TAX ID).
ARTICLE III, Section 1. ELIGIBILITY:
ARTICLE VI, Section 6
Indemnification: All Officers and Directors as defined in Article V, Appointed Officers as defined in Article VI, Chairmen of duly appointed Committees under Article VII or employees of the Society shall be indemnified by the Society against all expenses and liabilities, including counsel fees, reasonably incurred or imposed upon him or her in connection with any proceeding to which he or she may be made a part, or in which he or she may be involved, by reason of his or her being or having been a member of the Executive Council, officer or employee of the Society, or any settlement thereof, whether or not he or she is a member of the Executive Council, or employee at the time such expenses are incurred, if such individual acted in good faith, for a purpose they reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. The foregoing right of indemnification shall be in addition to and not exclusive of all others to which such member of the Executive Council, officer, or employee may be entitled.
Announcing the Fall 2019 Goldstein Scholarship Winners
/in Awards, Goldstein /by WebbyThe Microanalysis Society, Springer and the Meteoritical Society are pleased to announce the winners of the Fall 2019 round of winners of the Joseph Goldstein Scholarship. This scholarship, intended to promote career advancement for early career members of the Microanalysis Society, increase interactions of junior and established microanalysts, and to advance the state-of-the-art in microanalysis measurements. Up to $1000 is provided for attending a microscopy or microanalysis training course or to travel to another facility for measurements that enhance the Scholar’s skills or the state of microanalysis.
GSA Announces Partnership with Zeiss for Scholarship in Microscopy Research
/in News Item /by avdhandtBoulder, Colo., USA: The Geological Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce a new research grant for 2020 in partnership with The ZEISS Group, a leading international technology company in the fields of optics and optoelectronics.
Together, GSA and ZEISS are offering GSA members an opportunity to apply for a new research grant of up to US$10,000, to be used for innovative microscopy in geoscience projects. ZEISS will also provide access to technology and expertise with the instrumentation.
Members of GSA who are master’s or Ph.D. students, post-doctoral researchers, or early career researchers (most recent degree completed within the last five years), at an institution in North America or Central America, are eligible to apply.
Women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and members of other groups underrepresented in the geosciences are strongly encouraged to submit proposals.
Applications are being taken online now through 3 February 2020, and the winner will be notified in April. Learn more and apply.

Microscopy image from Zeiss.
# # #
The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, USA, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.
Remembering Tom Huber, former MAS president
/in News Item /by WebbyTom’s citation for the MAS Fellow is as following:
For outstanding leadership and sustained contributions to the development of commercial electron microscopes, development of MAS sustaining membership and financial support of the society.
Tom has been a strong bridge not only to connect academia and manufacturers but also to connect users and developers. We truly miss Tom.
Visitation will be held at the Eustis & Cornell Funeral Home (142 Elm Street, Marblehead, MA) on Friday, December 20, 2019 between 4:00 to 7:00.
Nominations for MAS Fellow Due December 1
/in MAS Fellows /by WebbyDear MAS Members,
Following our successful first two years of election of the Legends Class and then the Inaugural Class of MAS Fellows, MAS is soliciting nominations for the 2020 Class of MAS Fellows to be presented at M&M 2020. This 2020 Class should represent outstanding MAS members who have made sustained contributions to the field and the Society. Our long-term intent is that less than 10% of MAS membership will be designated “Fellow” at any given time. With the Legends Class and the Inaugural Class, we achieved this goal with the first two years of the program. Hereafter, we expect to elect about 0.5% of the membership each year (two to three).
Please consider any nominations you wish to make and submit a 2020 Fellow nomination package. The deadline for 2020 nominations is December 1, 2019. You may find directions for the nomination at https://the-mas.org/awards/mas-fellows/.
Thank you in advance on behalf of the Fellows Committee of MAS.
Tom Kelly
Chair, MAS Fellows Committee
One student’s experience at QMA-2019
/in Topical Conferences /by WebbyGEO777 poster presenters (Ben Bruck, Alex Villa, Emily Mixon, John Fournelle)
by BENJAMIN T BRUCK, University of Wisconsin
This spring, as a final project in John Fournelle’s Electron Microprobe Analysis course, our class performed experiments to compare the accuracy of energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) vs. wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS), and to assess the suitability of two new materials for use as microanalysis standards. As we neared the end of the semester, John suggested that we present our findings at the Quantitative Microanalysis conference in Minneapolis. Minneapolis is only a four-hour drive away, and there was funding for students, so it seemed like a great opportunity.
Even so, I must admit, I was a little hesitant. I had never been to a “real” academic conference before, (only an undergraduate research symposium back in Boise), and the work we’d be presenting felt a little out of my wheelhouse, as it didn’t directly relate to my master’s thesis. Fortunately, John talked me into it, and I’m so glad he did. The conference was a blast!
Our class made a poster for the conference, and Emily Mixon and I tag-teamed a presentation of our results. Speaking to an audience of scholars and industry professionals was a little scary, but everyone was very encouraging, and we got lots of great questions. Ultimately, it was a fantastic opportunity to practice my poster-design and presentation skills.
My favorite part of the conference was probably the Oxford Instruments demo, where they showed off the real-time mapping capabilities of their new EDS detectors. Imagine being able to instantly see how chemical composition varies across your sample, and to navigate to different areas of your sample based on the presence or absence of certain elements. Pretty amazing stuff! It would certainly make identifying sanidine crystals for in-situ analysis much easier.
I was also excited to visit the University of Minnesota, which hosted the conference. Not to knock our own fine campus, but UMN is beautiful. One of the other students from John’s class who joined us wanted to cross the Mississippi river, so we took a walk across the Washington Avenue Bridge one evening for dinner. The University of Minnesota was also where Alfred O. C. Nier did much of his pioneering work on mass spectrometry and geochronology, so I got to nerd out a bit over visiting his old stomping grounds.
I’m so glad I attended QMA. Not only do I feel it was a rich and rewarding experience for me as a grad student, but it was also tremendous fun. As a smaller conference (especially compared to something like GSA or AGU), it felt very low-key, and all the speakers and industry associates were very approachable. I highly recommend going, if you get the chance.
First published on the University of Wisconsin’s Geoscience BLOG
QMA-2019 Swag – Microanalysis poetry refrigerator magnets!
Plaque honoring Alfred O. C. Nier, located in Tate Hall at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis campus.
President’s Address – September 2019
/in Leadership /by WebbyFor many us of, the beginning of September marks the end of the summer conference and vacation season. We return to work and school with a renewed sense of accomplishment and focus on goals for the coming year. It is a time for taking stock, and planning for the future. For MAS, 2019 has been an excellent year. Our membership numbers, > 500, and financial picture, > $750K in combined invested and liquid assets, are at historically high levels. Beyond just the numbers, the active engagement of society members in person and on-line visibly demonstrates the strength and vibrancy of MAS. Total attendance at the annual Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting in Portland this summer reached record levels, with over 3,000 total participants, including 11 Distinguished Scholars and an AMAS student representative with financial support from MAS. The annual Meal with a Mentor connected nearly 100 early career M&M attendees with the senior members of the society. The induction of the Inaugural Class of MAS Felows recognized the long-standing contributions of some of our most dedicated members to the goals of MAS. QMA 2019, held in June at the University of Minnesota as part of our on-going Topical Conference series, provided the premier international venue for in depth discussion of quantitative microanalysis methods and applications. Six Goldstein Early Career scholars were awarded travel grants to develop their microanalysis technical skills and the Tour Speaker program supported Affiliated Regional Societies through travel subsidies for invited speakers to local meetings. MAS leadership and early career scholars participated in the European Microanalysis and the Australian Microanalysis meetings. On-line, our newly revamped web page and our growing social media presence provided connection to members worldwide. I’d like to take this opportunity to give a sincere thank you to the Council, the committee chairs and members, the M&M Meeting Co-Chair and Symposia organizers, and Sustaining members for all the volunteer time and resources they contributed to making 2019 such a successful year for MAS.
For 2020, MAS Council is continuing to look at ways to grow our value to the MAS membership through promotion of the advancement of microanalysis methods, instrumentation, and applications. Planning for EBSD 2020 (June 24-26th, 2020, University of Michigan), latest of the bi-annual EBSD TCs is well underway. A permanent home for the MAS archives at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia is in development. The Executive Council will work on establishing a dedicated strategic initiative fund from our current assets, to make funds available for one-time and on-going expansion of MAS activities.
In closing, I invite all members to make the most of their membership in 2020 by nominating your colleagues for a Best Paper Award, sponsoring an early career member through the Goldstein Scholar Program, inviting an MAS expert to speak at your regional society meetings through the Tour Speaker program, submitting an MAS-focused topic to the M&M 2021 call for symposia, and voting in the upcoming society elections in November. Stay connected, and send us your news and events to highlight on the MAS web page and social media platforms!
Sincerely,
Rhonda Stroud
President of the Microanalysis Society, 2018-2020
Funding for Young Scholars – The Goldstein Scholars Program
/in Awards, Goldstein /by aplindstromApplications are now open for the fall 2019 round of the Joseph Goldstein Scholars sponsored by the MAS and the publisher Springer.
This on-going award is intended to promote career advancement for early career members of the Microanalysis Society, increase interactions of junior and established microanalysts, and to advance the state-of-the-art in microanalysis measurements. Activities eligible for the awards are: (1) travel costs for the Goldstein Scholar to visit a microanalysis facility to make measurements that advance the Goldstein Scholar’s skills and/or the state-of-the-art in microanalysis; (2) Travel costs/fees associated with attendance at a microanalysis school or training course, e.g., Lehigh Microscopy School, Hooke College of Applied Sciences, ASU, etc. Up to five awards of up to $1000 each will be granted each year, with applications reviewed twice yearly in conjunction with the Winter and Summer Council Meetings. All MAS members who are less than 5 years beyond their terminal degree, and who have not received a Goldstein Scholar award within the prior 5 years, are eligible to apply. A one-time renewal for current awardees who need to make a return visit for additional measurements will be considered, in cases where this will have a clear impact on the results obtained, e.g., equipment failure on the first visit.
Some testimonials from past winners:
George Burton, Colorado School of Mines
“The Goldstein Scholar award provided me the opportunity to travel abroad to for a month and a half research opportunity. During my time in Germany, I was able to collaborate with world-class researchers with access to cutting-edge electron microscopes not available to me at my home institution. This collaboration provided interactions and mentorship from a leader in electron holography while also enabling the advancement of my thesis project for a direct structure-property correlative study.”
Sean Collins, University of Cambridge, UK
“The unique access to these capabilities and training made possible through the award have given me the opportunity to undertake research on a challenging materials system, and the success around these first experiments now motivates me to launch an expanded research program on organic semiconductors through cutting edge electron microscopy in my future career.”
The deadline for applications is November 1, 2019, and the results will be announced on December 15, 2019.
More information can be found at https://the-mas.org/awards/goldstein-scholar/
Announcing: EBSD 2020 Topical Conference
/in Topical Conferences /by WebbyEBSD 2020 is on! EBSD 2020 will be
held June 24-26, 2020 (note the new dates) at the University of Michigan, the site of the extremely successful EBSD 2018 meeting. EBSD 2020 will start with a day of tutorials and hands on demonstrations followed by 2 days of technical presentations and discussions and vendor demonstrations. EBSD 2020 will be an opportunity for all practitioners of EBSD—from newcomers to seasoned professionals—to learn about the latest technical advanced and share their experiences.
Download this tri-fold brochure with more information
2019 MAS Society Awards
/in Awards /by WebbyThe Microanalysis Society is proud to announced its award winners for 2019.
MAS Society Awards
Presidential Science Award – Lawrence Allard (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
Presidential Service Award – Lucille Giannuzzi (EXpressLO LLC)
Peter Duncumb Award for Excellence in Microanalysis – David Seidman (Northwestern University)
Kurt FJ Heinrich Award – Miaofang Chi (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
2019 Best Paper Awards for papers presented at M&M 2018
Castaing – Best Student Paper
Ery Hughes (University of Bristol)
Analysis of Redox Changes in Silicate Glasses Using EPMA and Raman Spectroscopy (Paper 2022)
Macres – Best Instrumentation/Software Paper
Lewys Jones (Trinity College Dublin)
The MTF and DQE of Annular Dark Field STEM: Implications for Low-dose Imaging and Compressed Sensing (Paper 478)
Birks – Best Contributed Paper
Bradley De Gregorio (Naval Research Laboratory)
Low Energy STEM-EELS Characterization of Primitive Organic Matter and Silicates in the Meteorite LAP 02342 (Paper 2074)
Cosslett – Best Invited Paper
Jordan Hachtel (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
Novel EELS Experiments in the Newly Opened Monochromatic Regime (Paper 418)
M&M Student Scholar Awards
Winning registration and travel support for M&M 2019
QMA-2019 – Round-up
/in Topical Conferences /by WebbyThanks to University of Minnesota and Anette von der Handt for hosting the event, to Heather Lowers and the full organizing committee for building the strong program and taking care of every detail. ‘Til we meet again in Portland at M&M 2019…
QMA 2019 Program now available online!
/in Topical Conferences /by emmafisiThe QMA 2019 Topical conference is now only a couple of weeks away. If you are attending the meeting, please make sure you have registered (here) and let us know your food preferences for the banquet (yum!). We also strongly encourage you to support our wonderful sponsors by signing up to attend the User group meetings on Monday (link).
The full program can be dowloaded now too:
High-resolution: here (62MB)
Low-resolution: here (12MB)
(We recommend that you right-click and save the program guide to your computer).