Mission Statement

Education and Training

The primary purpose of the BYU Electron Microscopy Facility is to provide educational opportunities and training for BYU students, faculty, and staff in the theory and operation of scanning and transmission electron microscopes and the equipment needed to support the use of those microscopes. We do this by providing three semester-long hands-on graduate level courses and some shorter training workshops for the teaching of electron microscopy techniques. All of our courses and workshops are available to all BYU students, faculty and staff. The experience of learning to use this equipment will benefit the students both during their education and throughout their careers.

Research

Another mission of the microscopy facility is to provide BYU's numerous research groups with advanced equipment capable of providing for their microscopy and microanalysis needs. We are happy to collaborate with researchers and offer consultations to help them develop any projects that require the use of our facility.

Equipment

Part of our responsibility is to make sure that all of our equipment is functioning properly and to look for ways to improve the functionality of the facility. We schedule regular maintenance and call for service as needed to keep the equipment functioning as specified. We also look for ways to improve the facility as equipment ages so that the facility is functioning up to current global research expectations.

Professional Development

Finally, the facility personnel work on their professional development so that they can keep up with current trends and new techniques. As equipment improves and new techniques are developed, it is important that facility staff be able to provide up to date services that will result in the best research outcomes.