The Microscopy Society of America (MSA) is, of course, primarily a society for microscopists in the United States of America. Nonetheless MSA is deeply involved in microscopy worldwide. It runs many valuable programs with an international focus. These programs are initiated and operated by the MSA International Committee under the supervision of the MSA Council. The International Committee is made up of a group of volunteers who do their best to help develop microscopy around the world and to expand MSA’s interaction with the wider community of microscopists. The present members of the International Committee have been doing this work for too long and have got to be a bit on the old side (how did that happen?). The MSA International Committee needs some new blood. Would you like to join?
Some of the programs in question are operated independently, while others operate in collaboration with international microscopy organizations. The world body for microscopy is, the International Federation of Societies for Microscopy (IFSM); MSA is a member. Within IFSM, there are regional organizations, and MSA is a member of two of them: CAPSM (Committee of Asia-Pacific Societies for Microscopy) and CIASEM (Interamerican Committee of Societies for Microscopy).
Here are some of the activities with an international focus supported by MSA:
• Travel scholarships are awarded to allow student members of MSA to attend international microscopy conferences.
• Travel scholarships are awarded to assist students from CIASEM and CAPSM countries to attend M&M meetings in the USA.
• Complementary registration at M&M meetings is offered to the presidents of CIASEM and CAPSM.
• CIASEM holds a Congress every two years. MSA supports these meetings. The Congress in 2003 was hosted by MSA at the M&M meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
• Exchange arrangements with the Royal Microscopical Society and with the European Microscopy Society have been established.
• Microscopy and Microanalysis is a leading journal with a world-wide circulation.
• Free access to Microscopy Today is available worldwide.
The International Committee meets annually at the Microscopy and Microanalysis (M&M) meeting and communicates by email in the interim. Those who have joined the committee in the past have often done so because they have an interest in microscopy in a particular part of the globe. They may have lived in another country or may have collaborated with visitors from overseas, but this is not a requirement. Whatever the reason, the work of the committee is of great value (especially to our colleagues in the less-developed countries), and we would be delighted to find new members. We especially need members with youthful enthusiasm.
If you would like to join the International Committee to propose and develop new programs and to help with the implementation of existing programs, please contact the chair or the secretary of the committee: Raynald Gauvin (raynald.gauvin@mcgill.ca); Jessica Riesterer (jessica.riesterer@fei.com). Please let us know if you would be interested, even if you are tempted but uncertain. Contact us and give it a try.
We should perhaps point out that there are many other committees within MSA and that the society depends on all of them to achieve the many wonders of its work. Among them are the following committees: Archivist, Awards, Certification Board, Education, Fellowship, Membership, Nominations, Placement Office, Publications, and Technologists' Forum. A description of what each of them does can be found on the MSA web site at: http://www.microscopy.org/about/committees.cfm
The International Committee is not the only one that would welcome new members. Some of them, like the International Committee, would welcome members at any level. However, some of them, clearly, are open only to people with particular experience or seniority.
