IMMSS history
Ioannes Marcus Marci Spectroscopic Society (IMMSS) is a non-profit organization of scientific, educational and professional technical workers in spectroscopy, eventually legal entities engaged in scientific and appllication activities in this field, all associated in joint activities with the aims of promoting and fostering advancement in the field of spectroscopy. IMMSS has currently cca 110 collective members. Its history dates back to 1949 (Czechoslovak Spectroscopic Society).
The Society is named after Ioannes Marcus Marci (1595-1667), a distinguished doctor, physicist and mathematician of the renaissance and rector of Charles University in Prague. Marci is sometimes denoted as a fisrt spectroscopist in history and foreshadower of Newton since he had dealt with light refraction well before him, studied and explained the nature of the phenomenon of the rainbow.
Ioannes Marcus Marci Medal
Awarded to eminent foreign and domestic scientists in recognition of their outstanding achievements in some of the spectroscopic disciplines. Ioannes Marcus Marci Medal laureates include five Nobel prize winners:
prof. Eric Allin Cornell
prof. Dr. Theodor W. Hänsch
prof. Ahmed H. Zewail
Sir Harold W. Kroto
prof. Robert F. Curl, Jr.
IMMSS is the direct successor to the Czechoslovak Spectroscopic Society bringing more than 75 years tradition of associating spectroscopists.
Speaking of history, it will be 50 years since the very successful 20th CSI held in Prague. The 20th CSI was organized together with the International Conference on Atomic Spectroscopy (ICAS) and several thematic small symposia. This is a good praxis that was then exercised on future conferences and it is also out aim when pursuing recent trends in interdisciplinary research.
Ioannes Marcus Marci Medal awarded for the first time on the occasion of CSI in 1977:
prof. Raymond Castaing, France - EPMA, SIMS
prof. Yvette Cauchoie, France - X-ray spectroscopy and optics
Dr. Alan Walsh, Australia - AAS
prof. Thomas S. West, UK - AAS, AFS
prof. Peter Klaeboe, Norway - molecular spectroscopy
prof. Tibor Török, Hungary
prof. Dr. C. Th. J. Alkemade, The Netherlands
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