The Microanalysis Society has established charitable funds to support various outreach activities and scholarships to MAS members. These funds honor three colleagues for their outstanding scientific contributions to the field of microanalysis, their mentorship and their roles as active members of MAS. For more information on their mission and how to apply see below. Please also consider donating to support these funds.
Chodos Fund – in memory of Arthur A. Chodos
Originally established as the Potter Fund to honor a member of the Colorado/Mountain States Affiliated Regional Society and to support student meeting attendance, the fund was renamed as the Chodos Fund in 2008, to foster student activities at the national Society level. For example, it was used to support student attendance at the IUMAS 6 meeting in Hartford.
About Arthur A. Chodos (1923-2005):
Arthur A. Chodos was one of the founding members of the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America, which eventually became today’s Microanalysis Society. He served on the Executive Council as President and Treasurer, and in several other offices over the course of twenty years. He was recognized with the MAS Service Award in 1980.
During his long career at the California Institute of Technology, he established a premier microanalysis laboratory, developed electron microprobe techniques, software and correction procedures, and created the first automated microprobe system optimized for analysis of geological materials. He also made major contributions to lunar science studies, including analysis of samples from the Apollo moon missions.
Fiori Fund – in memory of Charles (Chuck) Fiori
The Fiori Fund, established in 1993, is currently used to provide travel support to MAS Tour Speakers invited to meetings of our Affiliated Regional Societies. The fund was also established to support student and technologist travel, reflecting the wide scope of Chuck Fiori’s involvement in MAS.
About Charles E. Fiori (1938-1992):
Charles E. ‘Chuck’ Fiori is fondly remembered for his buoyant personality, his invaluable scientific work and his dedication to MAS, which he served as Secretary and as President. In the course of his thirty-year career, he worked at Scripps Institute, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Institutes of Health and finally at the National Institute of Standard and Technology, having previously served there in its earlier incarnation as the National Bureau of Standards. He also participated in the Lehigh Microscopy School short courses as a lecturer.
His skills in all aspects of instrumentation, combined with his knowledge of physics, mathematics, computers, programming, and data acquisition and analysis were the foundation upon which he built his career as an experimentalist, data analyst, software developer, prolific author and much requested speaker. His work as one of the three developers of the Desktop Spectrum Analyzer (DTSA) program for advanced spectral interpretation of energy- and wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectra is a lasting legacy and an invaluable tool for microanalysts everywhere.
Goldstein Fund – in memory of Joseph I. Goldstein
The Joseph Goldstein fund awards the Goldstein Scholarships, 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. The fund was initiated with seed funding by the Meteoritical Society, and is supported by the publisher Springer and individual member donations. This scholarship award is in memory of Joseph Goldstein and is available for students and Early Career Scholars within 5 years of their final degree.
Find more details on the application process and recent awards here.
About Joseph I. Goldstein (1939-2015):
Joseph I. Goldstein began his career as a professor of materials science and engineering at Lehigh University in 1964. He became a world-renowned expert in microanalysis, with much of his work focusing on identification of materials in meteorites and lunar rocks. Joe founded the Lehigh University Microscopy School, an annual series of short courses that, since its launch in 1970, has provided training to thousands of students from around the world. He left Lehigh to serve as Dean of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst from 1990 to 2004.
He served as President of MAS in 1991, was a recipient of the Society’s Presidential Science Award (link) and Duncumb Award (link). In addition to a wealth of technical publications, Joe and several co-authors produced the textbook Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microanalysis, which remains an indispensable resource, updated twice since its publication in 1991. He is also noted for his contributions to instrument development, including the electron probe microanalyzer, the scanning electron microscope and the analytical electron microscope, tools that form the foundation of work in the field of microanalysis.