Nikon Announces Judging Panel for the 52nd Annual Small World Competition

MELVILLE, N.Y., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nikon Instruments Inc. today announced the members of the judging panel for its 2026 Nikon Small World photomicrography and Small World in Motion video competitions, which will be held June 2-4 at The Research Park at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.

For more than half a century, the Nikon Small World competition has served as a global stage for celebrating the striking detail and complexity of life at the microscopic level. Each year, the competition brings together scientists, artists, and enthusiasts to showcase imagery that pushes the boundaries of what can be seen through the light microscope. As in previous years, the competition will recognize the top 20 photography entries and top five video submissions, along with honorable mentions and images of distinction. Entries are judged on originality, scientific and informational value, technical execution, and visual impact. Winners may receive up to $3,000 and international media recognition.

"Each year, our judging panel brings a thoughtful and multidisciplinary lens to the competition, helping to shape a collection of images and videos that reflect both scientific progress and creative exploration," said Eric Flem, Senior Manager, Communications and CRM at Nikon Instruments. "We look forward to seeing how this year's entries contribute to the continued expansion of a platform that highlights the power of imaging to inform, engage, and inspire audiences around the world."

The 2026 judging panel brings together four accomplished leaders across science, media, and visual storytelling, each offering a distinct perspective as they evaluate submissions against the competition's criteria:

• Joe Dragavon, Ph.D. is the director of the BioFrontiers Institute's Advanced Light Microscopy Core and Director of Core Facilities and Shared Instrumentation at the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to Boulder, Joe completed a five-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Pasteur Institute in Paris in the Plate-forme d'Imagerie Dynamique under the supervision of the late Dr. Spencer Shorte. He currently serves as President of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF), a U.S.-based organization dedicated to advancing core facilities and shared research resources.
  
  
• Quinten Geldhof is a technical designer at the Museum of Science in Boston, Massachusetts, where he develops interactive exhibits that inspire curiosity and lifelong learning. In 2022, he became captivated by the microscopic world and the extraordinary complexity hidden even within a single drop of pond water. Seeking to share that perspective, he began creating microscopy videos on Instagram under the name @microhobbyist, where his work has since reached millions of viewers. His work has been featured by National Geographic, BBC, and Business Insider, and he has collaborated with the Museum of Science on digital initiatives, including The Year of Being Human and The Year of Revolutionary Science. Geldhof also brings firsthand competition experience, having placed 5th in the 2024 Small World in Motion competition. He now joins the Nikon Small World judging panel with an appreciation for the craft and creativity behind microscopic imaging.
  
  
• Corey S. Powell is an award-winning science writer, editor, and communicator. He is the former editor-in-chief of Discover and American Scientist magazines, and a contributor to Aeon and IEEE Spectrum. In his science outreach he has collaborated with Bill Nye on four books (Undeniable, Unstoppable, Everything All at Once, and the upcoming Picture Guide to the Cosmos), two TV shows (Bill Nye Saves the World on Netflix and The End is Nye on Peacock), and the Science Rules podcast. During the pandemic he co-founded OpenMind, a Pulitzer-supported digital magazine that addresses science controversies and misinformation. He also coordinates physics outreach for the University of Rochester. Powell currently writes a column, Invisible Universe, about the layers of reality beyond human perception, and is working on an upcoming book of the same name due to be published by HarperOne.
  
  
• Meredith Sagolla, Ph.D. is the director of the Center for Advanced Light Microscopy and Electron Microscopy (CALM-EM) at Genentech. With 19 years of experience in the biotechnology industry, she is a recognized expert in applying advanced imaging technology and complex image analysis to high-impact research programs. Dr. Sagolla joined Genentech in 2007 and has progressively led the organization's primary core imaging facilities, aligning technological strategies with unmet research needs across departments. Her tenure at Genentech has been marked by her strategic oversight of advanced microscopy workflows, including confocal, spinning disk confocal, and light sheet microscopy to support diverse therapeutic areas such as neuroscience, oncology, and immunology. Dr. Sagolla earned her Ph.D. in plant biology from the University of California, Berkeley in the lab of Dr. Zacheus Cande. Her love of microscopy stems from her doctoral research pioneering three-dimensional analyses of the cytoskeleton in model organisms such as Giardia lamblia and fission yeast, using live-cell imaging and deconvolution microscopy.

The Nikon Small World in Motion video winners will be announced in September, and the winners of the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition will be announced in October 2026.

For additional information, please visit www.nikonsmallworld.com, and follow the competition on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (@NikonSmallWorld), Instagram (@nikonsmallworld), and Bluesky (@healthcare.nikon.com).

About Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition
The Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition is open to anyone with an interest in photography or video through the microscope. Participants may view details and upload digital images and videos directly at www.nikonsmallworld.com. For additional information, contact Nikon Small World, Nikon Instruments Inc., 1300 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY 11747, USA, or email us at [email protected].

ABOUT NIKON INSTRUMENTS INC.
Nikon Instruments Inc. is the US microscopy arm of Nikon Healthcare, a world leader in the development and manufacture of optical and digital imaging technology for biomedical applications. For more information, visit https://www.microscope.healthcare.nikon.com/ or contact us at 1-800-52-NIKON.

SOURCE Nikon Instruments Inc.