Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2004 in Savannah, Georgia, USA, August 1–5, 2004.

Microscopy and Microanalysis 2002 hosted by the Microscopy Society of America (MSA), the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS), the Microscopical Society of Canada (MSC)/Societe de Microscopie du Canada (SMC), and the International Metallographic Society (IMS) will provide comprehensive Symposia, Tutorials, and Special Sessions covering all aspects of microscopy. Events will begin on Friday, August 2nd with a two-day Pre-meeting Congress chaired by Raynald Gauvin of McGill University entitled “Characterization of non-Conductive or Charging Materials by Microbeam Analysis.” This Pre-meeting Congress will be at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. On Sunday, August 4th, there will be several Short Courses on a variety of topics for those active in teaching, research, and industrial applications involving microscopy and microanalysis. Formal meeting sessions will begin on Monday, August 5th, and will consist of a blend of different presentation formats including Symposia, Tutorials, and Poster sessions that will offer the latest information on cutting-edge discoveries and also provide the opportunity to learn new techniques and procedures. The unique opportunity for “hands-on” learning with state-of-the-art instrumentation will be provided by the integration of the program with the commercial exhibits.