IOANNES MARCUS MARCI MEDAL
Prof. Viktor Kanický
Viktor Kanický (17 June 1953) graduated in chemistry from the Faculty of Science of Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Brno (now Masaryk University) in 1977. In 1978, he obtained the RNDr. (Rerum Naturalium Doctor) degree in Analytical Chemistry for his thesis on ternary complex-forming equilibria and the spectrophotometric determination of uranium. In 1990, he earned the CSc. degree (equivalent to Ph.D.) at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, for his work on the spectroscopic study of rare earth elements using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and their determination in ores and products of technological purification processes. He habilitated in 1996 at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, and in 2003 was appointed Professor of Analytical Chemistry. In 2001, he was awarded the DrSc. (Doctor of Science) degree at the University of Pardubice.
Following his graduation and a one-year study stay at the Faculty of Science, he worked at the Geological Survey in Ostrava (1978–1991), where he contributed to pioneering developments in inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. He subsequently joined the Faculty of Education of Masaryk University and, since 1994, has been affiliated with the Faculty of Science. He has served as principal investigator or co-investigator of numerous projects funded by the Czech Science Foundation and the Ministry of Education. From 2005 to 2007, he was Head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry, and until 2023 he served as Deputy Head of the Department of Chemistry.
Between 1999 and 2001, he was Vice-Dean for organizational affairs, editorial activities, and student social matters at the Faculty of Science. From 2010 to 2018, he served as Vice-Dean for research, doctoral studies, and international relations. From 2007 to 2010, he chaired the Doctoral Programme Board in Chemistry, and since 2019 he has chaired the Doctoral Programme Board in Analytical Geochemistry. He is also a member of doctoral programme boards in Analytical Chemistry at Masaryk University and at other institutions, including Palacký University, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, and University of Chemistry and Technology Prague. He has served as a member of the Slovak national committee for the defence of DrSc. theses in analytical, environmental, and nuclear chemistry. He is currently a member and Vice-Chair of the Committee for awarding the Doctor of Science (DSc.) degree in Analytical Chemistry.
From 2005 to 2023, he served as the elected Chairman of the Ioannes Marcus Marci Spectroscopic Society, and since 2023 he has held the position of First Vice-Chairman.
His research and teaching activities focus on optical and mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma, the analysis of geological samples, elemental mapping/imaging, and laser ablation combined with plasma spectrometry. He is the author or co-author of more than 170 original research articles indexed in the Web of Science, with over 3,000 citations and an h-index of 29.
In 1994, he introduced a new research direction at Masaryk University based on the analytical use of pulsed laser ablation (LA-ICP-OES, LA-ICP-MS), secured funding for instrumentation, and established a research group in this field. Together with Professor Vítězslav Otruba, he co-founded the Laboratory of Plasma Sources for Chemical Analysis in 1997, later renamed the Laboratory of Atomic Spectrochemistry, which he subsequently led. He played a key role in building instrumentation and research programmes within several Ministry of Education research plans, the CEITEC project, and the project “Research Infrastructure for Doctoral Studies in Chemistry,” which he initiated and led. He also contributed to the project “Long-term Research of Geochemical Barriers for Nuclear Waste Disposal.” From 2019 to 2023, he was a member of Panel 206 (Analytical Chemistry) of the Czech Science Foundation, serving first as Vice-Chair and subsequently as Chair.
In 2016, he was awarded honorary membership of the Slovak Spectroscopic Society. In 2017, he received the Tibor Török Medal from the Hungarian Spectrochemical Society of the Hungarian Chemical Society for his contributions to analytical spectroscopy. In 2024, he was awarded the Nicolaus Konkoly-Thege Medal of the Slovak Spectroscopic Society for his outstanding achievements in analytical spectroscopy.