TRIBUTE
Ivan Rubeska
1931-2001

Dr. Ivan Rubeska of Prague, died of cancer on the 10th of June 2001 at the age of 69. He graduated from Charles University in 1954 with a degree in physical chemistry and worked for a short time at the Agriculture Test and Control Institute in Prague. Ivan Rubeska joined the Chemical Laboratory of the Geological Survey of Czechoslovakia in 1956 and shortly thereafter received his Ph.D. in chemistry, for a thesis entitled "The use of the photometric line width method in emission spectrography ".

Dr. Rubeska's involvement with atomic emission spectrography and the Geological Survey marked the beginning of a long and illustrious career in analytical spectroscopy. Upon receiving his doctorate, Dr. Rubeska began work in atomic absorption spectrometry using an instrument of his own design and construction. He was one of the first to apply atomic absorption spectrometry to the analysis of geological materials and promoted its use as an analytical tool both at home and abroad. In 1976, he introduced ICP emission spectrometry to the Geological Survey. During his career, he also made significant contributions to the development and use of reference materials in geoanalysis.

Ivan Rubeska was a leader in atomic spectroscopy and his international reputation in the field was confirmed by his appointment as a United Nations Expert in analytical chemistry. In this capacity he served over the next twenty years on projects in Iraq, India, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar. He was a member of Commission V/4 of the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry and a member of the editorial advisory boards of several journals including Geostandards Newsletter: The Journal of Geostandards and Geoanalysis (as a founding member from 1977 to 1998), The Analyst, Progress in Analytical Atomic Spectroscopy, Annual Reports on Analytical Atomic Spectroscopy and Canadian Journal of Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy.

Ivan Rubeska published more than seventy papers and is the author or co-author of several books including Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (1969), Flame Photometry (1970) and Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (1975) .

For many years Dr. Rubeska served as the Scientific Secretary for the Czechoslovak Spectroscopy Society (Ioannes Marcus Marci Spectroscopy Society) and was responsible for the organization of several important international conferences. These included the first ever international conference on atomic spectroscopy (1967) and the XX CSI and the 7th ICAS in 1977. In that year, he was awarded the Jan Marek Marchi Award, the highest honour attainable from the Czech Spectroscopic Society, for his contributions in spectroscopy. He was also made an honourary member of the Society.

Ivan Rubeska was a remarkable person. He spoke English, French, German, Russian and some Spanish in addition to his native Czech. He was a tireless supporter of the spectroscopic sciences and continued throughout his life to organize conferences (national and international) and to attract international speakers to the Czech Republic.

Ivan Rubeska was a great teacher and influenced the lives of many young people as well as his contemporaries. He was an amateur historian and delighted in placing current events into historical perspective and in giving the origins of words and customs. One of the historical facts he loved to promote was the contribution of Marcus Marci, a Czech native, who nearly five centuries ago (before Newton!) first described the nature of diffraction and other optical phenomena. Ivan had a sophisticated sense of humour and this together with his generous and kind nature made him a friend to all.

We will greatly miss Ivan Rubeska the scientist, teacher, author, historian, family man and friend. His spirit will live on in the hearts of the many people that he has touched and influenced throughout his life.

D. Conrad Grégoire
Ottawa, Canada

Geostandards Newsletter: The Journal of Geostandards and Geoanalysis
Vol. 26 No. 1 pp. 5 (2002)

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