Inter/Micro 2026 Schedule of Events

The schedule of events is subject to change; check this page regularly for updates.
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Author Presentations McCrone Lecture Room View author abstracts and presentation schedule
10:15 – 10:45 a.m.Morning Coffee Break, sponsored by Jan Burmeister
12:00 – 1:15 p.m. Lunch, sponsored by Cargille Labs McCrone Garden
12:00 – 5:00 p.m.State Microscopical Society of Illinois (SMSI) Silent Auction McCrone ClassroomBid on microscopy equipment and other related items of interest at the annual silent auction benefitting the State Microscopical Society of Illinois (SMSI). Winners will be announced Wednesday afternoon after the speaker presentations. Learn more
2:30 – 2:55 p.m. Afternoon Coffee Break, sponsored by McCrone Research Institute
Photomicrography Competition, sponsored by pH2, LLC We invite you to submit photomicrographs taken with any microscopy technique -- darkfield, brightfield, fluorescence, interference contrast, polarized light, SEM, etc. The deadline for in-person submissions at Inter/Micro 2026 is 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. Awards for Best Overall Image, Most Unique Image, and Best SEM Image will be announced at the conclusion of the meeting. Learn more
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Author Presentations McCrone Lecture Room View author abstracts and presentation schedule
8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. SMSI Silent Auction, sponsored by McCrone Research Institute McCrone Classroom Bid on microscopy equipment and other related items of interest at the annual silent auction benefitting the State Microscopical Society of Illinois (SMSI). Winners will be announced Wednesday afternoon after the speaker presentations. Learn more
10:15 – 10:45 a.m. Morning Coffee Break, sponsored by Millette Technical Consulting
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch, sponsored by TAKA (in Memory of Mrs. Madeleine V. Kubic and Dr. John A. Reffner) McCrone Garden
2:55 – 3:30 p.m. Afternoon Coffee Break and conclusion of SMSI Silent Auction, sponsored by The Microscope journal
5:00 – 8:00 p.m. State Microscopical Society of Illinois (SMSI) Awards Dinner, sponsored by Cargille Labs Location: McCrone Research Institute, Chicago
5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Social hour 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Dinner 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Award announcement and presentations
Join Inter/Micro and the State Microscopical Society of Illinois (SMSI) as they present Dr. John D. Shane with the 2026 August Köhler Award.
Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19, 2026
"Microscopical Identification of Biogenic and Lithic Grains in Sands," 2-day Workshop sponsored by Cargille Labs
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (lunch: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.) both daysMcCrone Laboratories and Classrooms This two-day hands-on workshop taught by Kate Clover will offer participants the opportunity to use microscopes in the McCrone Research Institute laboratory and classrooms to study sands from around the world and to learn to identify both biogenic and lithic grains. Sand compositions vary greatly, and each sample tells the story of the regional marine ecosystem and/or geology. Learn more