As of November 1, the post of Analytical Products Manager will be filled by Mike Kundmann. In his 15-year history with Gatan R&D, Mike has made key contributions to the software used to operate and obtain valuable specimen data from all of Gatan's energy filtering products for TEM (PEELS, GIF, DigiPEELS, and Enfina).

In his current post as TEM Applications Program Manager, Mike has developed close working relationships with the R&D staff of the electron microscope manufacturers to achieve better integration of Gatan's analytical product line with the host TEMs. In addition to a strong technical background in the EELS and EFTEM techniques, Mike also brings extensive customer contacts to his new post, having organized and run the technical program of Gatan's yearly EELS Imaging and Analysis Shools in Pleasanton during 1990-1997 and 2000-2002 as well as other workshops in a variety of locales. In the course of his development of EELS and EFTEM software, he has visited numerous customer sites, giving him a firsthand look at real-world uses and requirements of analytical instruments and software for TEM.

Mike's analytical TEM experience goes back further than his time at Gatan. In 1988, he obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley, while working towards new applications of TEM EELS signals for semiconductor analysis. Mike is eager to devote his full energies to his new post and maximize his contacts with the various Gatan departments involved in the development, promotion, sale, and support of new products. He will therefore be changing his status as an off-site employee working from Chicago to be full-time at the Pleasanton facility. He and his family hope to be fully settled in California by the end of this year.