American Microscopical Society

Alpheus Baker Hervey was the chairman of the first congress. Trained as a marine biologist, his research focused on algae.[2]

Dr. R.H. Ward, a medical doctor, was the first President of the AMS. His son, Henry B. Ward was an early twentieth century biologist and later went on to serve as a subsequent AMS president.[2]

Other early leaders of AMS included

• Hamilton Smith, who was known for his work on marine algae[2]
• Jacob D. Cox, a microscopical technologist who also served as the governor of Ohio[2]
• Thomas J. Burrill, a bacteriologist, and,[2]
• David S. Kellicott, a protozoologist.[2]

The collection of prominent scientists who belonged to the AMS also included: L.M. Vorce, Dr. George Edward Fell, E. and W. Bausch, G.E. Blackham, and C.A. Spencer.[2]

Oliver Wendell Holmes was an early associate.[2]

Simon Henry Gage, the author of a book on the microscope with 17 editions published between 1880 and 1943, served as the AMS President twice since its inception.[2]

Charles A. Spencer and Robert B. Tolles, renowned microscope makers, were honored by the production of the Spencer-Tolles Memorial Fund, which continues to promote publications in the field of microscopical research today.[2]

Early AMS meetings functioned as social and scientific gatherings, and were heavily covered by the press. Public admission was encouraged by demonstrations on biological specimens that highlighted the importance of microscopes and microscopy to the general public.[2]

The AMS awards a certificate and a monetary prize for the Best Contributed Paper, original research that is presented by a student at the AMS Annual Meeting.[7][8]

Only students or graduates who have not received a degree more than 12 months before the meeting are eligible to compete for the awards.[7][8]

The AMS also awards the Ralph and Mildred Buchsbaum Prize for Excellence in Photomicrography[9] in honor of Ralph Buchsbaum, American zoologist, ecologist, and invertebrate biologist, and his wife Mildred Buchsbaum, who first worked as his research assistant and later helped him in creating the first chimera between the green algae Chlorella and chick fibroblast cells.

• There are two categories: color and black-and-white photomicrographs.[9]
• Only photomicrographs that taken with transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and any kind of light microscopy, including confocal scanning laser microscopy, are eligible.[9]

The AMS Student Research Fellowship funds are offered to university students as financial assistance for summer research projects involving microscopy.[10]

There are two fellowships of $1000 each that the AMS awards to students. Undergraduate and graduate proposals are assessed separately.[10]

The guidelines apply to any undergraduate or graduate student who is a member of the AMS, with the exception of students who received this award in the past.[10]

AMS Travel awards are funds of $250 for transportation to the annual AMS meetings, which are joint endeavors between the AMS and the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology.[11]

The AMS offers financial awards to three student members who are chosen to present at the annual AMS/SICB 2016 meeting in Portland, Oregon, in early January.[11]

The AMS Microscopy Training Fellowship funds are for support of graduate students and faculty members at the beginning of their careers. The funds are for training in new microscopy techniques. There are two fellowships of $1000 each are available each year, and the training may be obtained either through public courses and workshops or through private courses taken at other institutions.[12]

The guidelines apply to any graduate student or early career faculty member who is a full member of AMS, again with the exception of past fellowship recipients.[12]

Applications from graduates students and faculty members are also assessed independently and awards are rewarded at a maximum of $1000.[12]