UA Lab Manager Honored for Contributions to Microscopy

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Microscopy Society of America recently awarded the 2017 Chuck Fiori Award to Richard L. Martens, manager of the Central Analytical Facility, or CAF, at The University of Alabama.

The award annually honors a technologist in the physical sciences for significant contributions in the field of microscopy and microanalysis.

Martens became manager of UA’s CAF in 2006. The CAF supports the teaching, research and service missions of UA, and it enables and facilitates research. The facility educates students, faculty and staff on how to use research instrumentation.

In 2013, Martens was elected leader of the MSA Atom Probe Focused Interest Group. He became editor of the Microscopy and Microanalysis Onsite Program Guide in 2016. That same year, he helped organize the First Atom Probe Tomography Workshop for Earth Sciences sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Microanalysis Society’s Fifth Topical Conference on electron backscatter diffraction, both of which were held at UA.

He also organized the First MSA Pre-Meeting Congress on atom probe tomography held at the annual Microscopy and Microanalysis conference.

“Rich Martens’ background and training in electron and atom probe microscopies, as well as focused ion beam-based specimen preparation techniques for these microscopies, has helped to establish the facility he manages as a leading microscopy and microanalysis facility in the Southeast region,” said Molly McCartney, MSA Awards Committee physical sciences co-chair.

Martens received his bachelor’s degree in English from The University of Wisconsin, Madison and an associate degree in applied science in electron microscopy from the Madison Area Technical College.

The Microscopy Society of America was founded as the Electron Microscope Society of America in 1942. The MSA champions all forms of microscopy through its annual meeting, its publications, and its educational outreach as it celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. It is also the 50th anniversary of the atom probe.

The Microscopy Society of America is an affiliate society of the American Institute of Physics and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.