Royal Microscopical Society President's Medal Winner

A new series of Medals was launched by Royal Microscopical Society in 2014 to coincide with its 175th anniversary. The series is designed to recognise and celebrate individuals who make outstanding contributions to the field of microscopy across both the life and physical sciences. After a difficult decision-making process, the RMS is to announce Professor Vyvyan Howard as the 2016 winner of the RMS President’s Medal.

The RMS President’s Medal is awarded for an exceptional voluntary contribution to the work of the Royal Microscopical Society.

Professor Howard, an Emeritus Professor at Ulster University, has served as both the Honorary Treasurer and President of the RMS, as well as holding the post of General Editor of the Journal of Microscopy from 1986-1991. During this period, he maintained the Journal of Microscopy remaining near the top of the Impact Factor ratings for the field of microscopy and he oversaw a period of great activity and development including: confocal microscopy, scanning probe microscopy and design-based stereology. The latter topic was his own speciality to which he contributed many original papers.

As Honorary Treasurer, he saw the Society through a difficult period, with a stock market crash occurring shortly after the RMS’ 150th anniversary celebrations in 1989. Through Professor Howard's shrewd handling of the Society's financial affairs he pulled the Society through and by the time he left the Honorary Treasurer's post after 4 years the assets of the Society were far healthier!

In addition to this, he introduced the Staff Pension Scheme, an important philanthropic policy which was well ahead of its time, and which still benefits the Society's staff to this day.

During his Presidency of the RMS, Professor Howard organised a meeting at MICRO96 which turned out to be the first to address the health effects of nanoparticles. This has turned out to become a major area of research, leading to multimillion pound/euro funding from research organisations. Professor Howard has shown throughout his career not only that he has contributed a huge amount of time an effort to the RMS, helping to shape it into the successful Charity it is today, but has also made major contributions to the science of microscopy.

Professor Howard was awarded his Medal at the RMS Microscopy: Advances, Innovation, Impact meeting in London on 30 September 2016.