In Memoriam: Caroline Schooley

It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of Caroline Schooley on April 15, 2018 at the age of 86. Caroline was a graduate of UC Berkeley with a Masters Degree in Microbiology, but began her career in electron microscopy in the early 1950s as an undergraduate, starting as a photography technician in the Electron Microscopy Laboratory and working her way up to becoming director of the EML. In the course of her career she taught countless students the art and science of electron microscopy as both instrumentation and techniques of specimen preparation advanced. She was a strong advocate of collaboration and strongly advised people, especially women, to join the Microscopy Society of America, pointing out it was one of few societies that was degree- and gender-blind.

In addition to being a member of MSA since 1970 and on the Council from 1985-1988, she was an Honorary Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a member of the American Society of Cell Biology, the Northern California Society of Electron Microscopy (Secretary 1974-1977), and the Royal Microscopy Society.

In her retirement Caroline helped form Project MICRO, an educational outreach program of MSA, and served as coordinator of the program for many years. The focus of this program is developing interest in science and microscopy among pre-college students. Caroline in particular hoped to inspire young girls into the sciences.

Caroline wrote several articles for Microscopy Today, for example Microscopy For Children (2007), What is ProjectMICRO (2010). In September, 2016, there was a sudden increase in parent and teacher Emails to MICRO asking for further information. She was delighted to find MICRO in the coveted #1 spot when someone did a Google search for "school microscopes."

Caroline was awarded the Morton D. Maser Award in 1992 and became a Fellow of the Microscopy Society of America 2009, cited as "an outstanding microscopist and educator who has made exceptional contributions to microscopy education from K-12 through post-graduate levels."