Named after his father, Samuel James Palenik III, more commonly known by the nickname of Skip, was born in the city of Chicago, Illinois in 1947.
YOUTH
As a child, Skip Palenik’s interest in the field of microscopy was exhibited through the learning of basic techniques in his childhood laboratory in his basement, and studying microscopy whenever he had the opportunity, a passion that would later become his career.
EDUCATION
Despite the fact that Skip Palenik was steered away by his professors, his devotion to microscopy and his strong determination eventually led to his earning of a Bachelor’s of Science degree, and he soon began working in a variety of microscopy labs.
FAMILY, HOME & HOBBIES
Over the years, Skip Palenik’s childhood passion towards microscopy has not since diminished, for he still continues to show his enthusiasm towards microscopy in his lab and home, which he shares with his wife, Peggy, and two sons, Christopher and Jeffery.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Considering peoples’ interest in well-known individuals, Biography Today has been created, which is a continuous series of profiles that include the career highlights of the subjects, one of which features Skip Palenik, a famed Forensic Microscopy Scientist, whose talents contribute to society by exploring and discovering the microscopic world. At the start of his career, Skip Palenik went to work at the McCrone Research Institute, his mentor Walter McCrone’s lab, who was one of the only scientists who remained dedicated to the use of microscopes. During Palenik’s time at McCrone, he learned logical deduction based off a game in which the goal is to correctly identify the unknown substance, known as the U.F.O. game, as well as learning that every particle is a clue to its origin. Since his skill and interest in microscopy continued to expand, by 1993, Skip Palenik had founded his own lab, Microtrace, in which he uses the lab equipment to establish the composition of a particle. While determining