With this issue of Microscopy Today I once again follow in the footsteps of my longtime friend and mentor, Charles Lyman. In 2005, as I was finishing my second stint as Program Chair for Microscopy & Microanalysis meetings, Charlie was the Editor-in-Chief of Microscopy and Microanalysis (MAM), MSA's peer-reviewed journal. At that time MAM was a relatively young journal, and Charlie was building it into the leading international journal that it currently is. As I finished my Program Chair duties, Charlie asked me to be Guest Editor for a special issue of the journal on “Imaging the Cardiovascular System.” As I finished my guest editorship, Charlie realized the word “no” was absent from my vocabulary and asked me to join the editorial staff of the journal as an Applications Editor for Biological Sciences. I graciously accepted the invitation.
In 2008 Ron Anderson, the then-Editor-in-Chief of Microscopy Today (MTO), decided to retire from this position, and MSA council appointed Charlie Editor-in-Chief starting in 2009. This left the role of MAM journal editor open. The MSA Council appointed me as MAM journal Editor-in-Chief in January of 2009, and I subsequently held that position through 2016 when I stepped down to run for the position of MSA President-Elect. Now, as I finish my presidential duties, and Charlie retires as the chief editor of MTO, I once again follow Charlie's lead and take on the task of building on the outstanding job he did as the Editor-in-Chief of Microscopy Today.
I am fortunate in two key elements as I assume my duties as the Editor-in-Chief of Microscopy Today. First, as he did when I followed him as the Editor-in-Chief of Microscopy and Microanalysis, Charlie leaves me with a very successful and internationally recognized publication at the top of its field. My primary task over the next few issues is to continue to build on this success—and not mess things up. This leads me to the second thing that I am very fortunate in having: a dedicated editorial team and staff, many of whom I have had the pleasure of working with over the last decade. With the help and guidance of those named in the column to the right of this editorial, I am sure Microscopy Today will continue to grow and become even more successful. As readers of this magazine, I hope all of you will feel free to provide guidance. Please let me know how I can enhance the content in these pages to best serve the microscopy community.
