Meet the 2021 Art of Science Judges: Vivian Merk

“A picture is worth a thousand words – contrary to common belief this statement is equally true for scientific publications. This competition will showcase images that exquisitely merge science, technology and art,” said Vivian Merk, Ph.D., a first-time juror for the third annual Art of Science Photography Contest.

Merk is an assistant professor in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and College of Engineering and Computer Science who uses electron beams rather than visible light to form the image of a specimen — to answer questions about the skeletal geometry of plankton, the organization of collagen fibrils in shark cartilage, or the deposition of minerals in wood scaffolds. When Merk is not working, she said she enjoys painting and attending art exhibitions.

“This contest champions the creative process of science by challenging FAU researchers to visually communicate the beauty of the scientific endeavor,” she said.

Merk will be a guest speaker for the Microscopy and Microanalysis meeting, an annual conference held by the Microscopy Association of America and the Microanalysis Society.