AWARDS
Since 1977, the Ioannes Marcus Marci Spectroscopic Society (IMMSS) has been awarding the Ioannes Marcus Marci of Kronland Medal to distinguished individuals in the field of spectroscopy. Named after the renowned Czech scientists, physician, and academic dignitary of Charles University, this medal was first presented on the occasion of the XX Colloquium Spectroscopicum Internationale in Prague. It is awarded in recognition of local and foreign scientists for their outstanding work and contributions in any of the spectroscopic fields. In the international context, this medal is of extraordinary significance and is considered an event worthy of, among other things, reports in renowned scientific journals. Each year, a rather limited number of the medals are awarded and the nominees are selected following a very critical evaluation (see Recipients of the Ioannes Marcus Marci Medal).
IOANNES MARCUS MARCI MEDAL
Prof. Blanka Vlčková
Professor Blanka Vlčková graduated from the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at Charles University, Prague in 1984. Her scientific carrier progressed at the Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Charles University where she became a full professor in 2008 and has been a professor emeritus since 2025. In 1989, she established her research group "Surface-enhanced Raman scattering" (SERS), which was the first research group in the Czech Republic which dealt with this phenomenon. Prof. Vlčková and her research group have substantially contributed to elucidation of the molecular resonance damping in surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS), to identification of the reduced Ag(0) adsorption on Ag nanoparticle surfaces and specification of the conditions of their formation as well as to explanation of the simultaneous operation of graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS) and SERS. Since 2017, Prof. Vlčková research interests involve also the plasmon-catalysed reactions on plasmonic metal nanoparticle surfaces and establishing of their mechanisms on the basis of targeted experiments using SERS spectral detection and monitoring of the reaction progress.
Prof. Blanka Vlčková published over 80 papers and two book chapters, and she delivered about 50 invited lectures at international conferences and universities abroad. She acted as the visiting scientist at University of London, University of Amsterdam, University of Toronto and University of California at Santa Barbara, and as the visiting professor at Mc. Gill University Montreal. In 2011, she was awarded "Certificate of Appreciation for Peer Review Activities" by American Chemical Society.
During her scientific carrier, Prof. Vlčková has been actively involved in the Ioannes Marcus Marci Spectroscopic Society (IMMSS) as a leader of the Vibrational Spectroscopy group and/or a head of the Molecular Spectroscopy Section. She participated in organizing and program committees of international as well as local conferences and lectured at the Vibrational Spectroscopy courses organized by the IMMSS.
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.
HONORARY MEMBER OF IMMSS
Prof. Yukihiro Ozaki
Professor Yukihiro Ozaki obtained his PhD in Physical and Inorganic Chemistry at Osaka University, Japan, and he became a Professor of Chemistry at School of Science and Technology, Kwansei-Gakuin University, Japan in
Prof. Ozaki is the recipient of numerous international and domestic awards, e.g. Dasari Lecture Award (2011), George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory, MIT; Memorial Award for the 90th Anniversary of the Discovery of Raman Effect (2018), Bangalore, India; The Medal with Purple Ribbon from Japanese Emperor (2018) Pittsburg Spectroscopy Award, Pittsburg Spectroscopy Society, USA (2019); Charles Mann Award of Applied Raman Spectroscopy, FACSS, USA (2020), Karl Norris Award, International Council of Near-infrared Spectroscopy (2021), Ioannes Marcus Marci medal, JMM Spectroscopic Society, Czech Republic (2022) and Ellis R. Lippincot Award, Optical Society of America, USA (2025). He has presented more than 140 invited and plenary lectures at international conferences all over the world. He was a Steering Committee Member of International Conference on Raman Spectroscopy (ICORS) (2012-2018) and of International Conference on Advanced Vibrational Spectroscopy (ICAVS) (2013-2019). Prof. Ozaki was also the Vice President of Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry (2011-2012), the President of Spectroscopical Society of Japan (2014-2016) and the Representative of Japan in Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) (2012-2017). He was also a Member of Editorial Board of spectroscopy journals, e.g. the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy and the Journal of Near-IR Spectroscopy, and an Associate Editor of Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry.
Prof. Ozaki published more than 1100 papers as well as 19 books and 70 book chapters and review articles (with over 48 000 citations and H index = 94) devoted to medical applications of Raman spectroscopy, to surface-enhanced Raman (SERS) and tip-enhanced Raman (TERS) spectroscopy, and to far-ultraviolet (FUV) and near infrared spectroscopy. In particular, Prof. Ozaki became a path breaking scientist in medical Raman spectroscopy owing to the first successful application of Raman spectroscopy to an investigation of the disease mechanism. Furthermore, he has opened a new era in FUV spectroscopy of condensed matter by introducing the attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique to the FUV region, and he has also substantially contributed to elucidation of both the electromagnetic and the chemical mechanism of SERS.
Professor Yukihiro Ozaki
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Kwansei Gakuin University,
2-1, Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337
Japan
e-mail: ozaki@kwansei.ac.jp