The Microscopy and Microanalysis 2001 meeting hosted by the Microscopy Society of America (MSA) and the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS) will provide comprehensive Symposia, Tutorials and Special Sessions covering all aspects of microscopy. The Program will begin on Saturday, August 4th with a two-day Pre-meeting Congress chaired by Dr. Dave Piston of Vanderbilt University entitled "Imaging Life: From Cells to Whole Animals." On Sunday, August 5th there will be several Short Courses on a variety of topics of interest to those of us active in teaching, research and industrial applications involving Microscopy and Microanalysis. Formal meeting sessions will begin on Monday, August 6th and will consist of a blend of different presentation formats including Symposia, Tutorials and Poster sessions that will provide access to information about cutting edge discoveries and will provide the opportunity to learn new techniques and procedures. The integration of the program with the commercial exhibits will provide the unique opportunity for "hands-on" learning with state-of-the-art instrumentation.

The scientific program will consist of several types of sessions. "Advances in Instrumentation and Techniques" sessions will cover a variety of topics dealing with new instrumentation and techniques that have recently become available while "Tutorials" and the "Tech Forum" will cover more basic information concerning some well established and commonly used techniques and instrumentation. The "Biological and Physical Sciences Symposia" will cover several specialized applications such as the use of microscopy in the study of cancer and the characterization of catalysts. A highlight of the meeting will be a symposium that will examine the "Role of Microscopy and Microanalysis in the Real World" and will deal with topics as diverse as forensic science, characterization of antique art samples and the uses of microscopy in the aerospace industry. We will also continue the popular "Ask the Experts" sessions during which the audience will be able to ask panels of experts about specific problems that have been encountered. The "Expert's" sessions as well as the "Tutorials" will both take a look at the important topics of Core Facility Management techniques and the use of digital images in microscopy.

Rounding out the program will be the afternoon "Poster" sessions that provide an excellent venue for the exchange of scientific information in a one-on-one format. We encourage all Poster presenters to review the specific guidelines for the many poster honors and awards, including inclusion in the MSA Traveling Poster Exhibit that will be seen at most Local Affiliate Society meetings and the Diatome Award that includes a trip to Switzerland for the winner and a guest. Session categories to which you may submit a paper are listed in the "Author's Info" section.

The Program Committee has worked hard to ensure that this is an exciting and ambitious program covering as many aspects of Microscopy and Microanalysis as possible. We hope that you are as excited about the program as we are and hope to see all of you in Long Beach. If you have any questions concerning the program, don't hesitate to check out the MSA home page (www.msa.microscopy.com) or to contact the Meeting Management office or one of the program chairs listed below for the most recent information about the meeting. Remember that abstracts are due no later than February 15, 2001.

Bob Price, MSA Program Chair
Edgar Voelkl, MSA Program Vice-Chair
Inga Holl Musselman, MAS Program Co-Chair