Previewing a SpecAcademy Roundtable Discussion

Recently, Spectroscopy, the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS), the International Atomic Spectrometry Association (IASA), and the Coblentz Society partnered on the creation and development of SpecAcademy, which is an online and on-demand education platform that is designed to help advance and further spectroscopy education.¹ One of the main objectives of this e-learning resource is to close the expertise gap that professionals in the industry are flagging as a major concern.¹

Currently, there are five courses listed that are available on the platform, with more set to be made available on the platform in the coming weeks. These courses are designed to be more substantial than the generic spectroscopy content found on YouTube. These courses were built and vetted by working experts in the field, spanning from foundational to advanced levels.¹ All courses also include assessment questions to ensure real mastery (not passive viewing), and award Certificates of Completion recognized by SAS and the Coblentz Society.¹

The target audience for these courses are for individual scientists and laboratory teams. The content in these courses is designed to help both deepen their skills in analytical spectroscopy. From learning about how these techniques work to troubleshooting tips, the practical information included in these courses can help scientists maintain their expertise in their jobs.¹ These courses are also in bite-sized formats, allowing researchers to consume this content on their lunch breaks or during their free time.

What will the first SpecAcademy panel discussion be about?

Join Spectroscopy, the Society of Applied Spectroscopy, and the Coblentz Society in the first in a series of panel discussions. The first upcoming panel discussion will focus on infrared (IR) spectroscopy and why it is important to understand the measurement and the meaning in addition to being able to interpret the data properly. This panel discussion will also address the need for continuing education in the area of vibrational spectroscopy.

Topics that will be addressed in the panel discussion include:

1. What SpecAcademy is and why Spectroscopy, SAS, IASA, and the Coblentz Society thought it was necessary to start this venture
2. Why is SpecAcademy necessary today
3. How are people getting educated today and where SpecAcademy is filling the gaps
4. Do people still attend live short courses?
5. Why SpecAcademy is starting with the current five courses related to vibrational spectroscopy
6. Where SpecAcademy is going and what courses should be considered for inclusion on the SpecAcademy platform.

Who are the SpecAcademy instructors serving as panelists for this upcoming roundtable?

There are five SpecAcademy instructors that will serve as panelists on this roundtable discussion. The five instructors are as follows:

1. Ellen V. Miseo is a physical chemist turned vibrational spectroscopist with broad experience across R&D, instrument companies, and commercial laboratories (food/materials science), including CTO at TeakOrigin.² Miseo is currently the Secretary for the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) and education coordinator for both SAS and the Coblentz Society, and she will be the moderator for the upcoming roundtable.²
2. Mary Widmark Carrabba is a forensic and industrial spectroscopist and the Virtual Office Manager for the Coblentz Society.² She earned her PhD from George Washington University (GWU) and conducted her early research at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s forensic science center. Later in her career, Carrabba had roles at Hewlett-Packard and Southern Oregon University.²
3. James de Haseth is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Georgia with 45+ years in vibrational spectroscopy, instrumentation, and spectral data processing.² He is also the Director of Raman and Infrared courses.
4. Jeff D'Agostino is a Senior Applications Chemist for Specac, Inc., as well as a member of SAS, Coblentz, and the American Chemical Society (ACS).² D’Agostino is 35-year veteran of the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) accessory industry, having worked at three of the top four companies in that space across applications, sales, product management, and design roles.²
5. Peter J. Larkin is the current Manager of Spectroscopy, Thermal Analysis, and Chromatography at Syensqo. Larkin earned his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh (1990) under Sanford Asher, specializing in resonance Raman and vibrational circular dichroism.²

We are looking forward to sharing this panel discussion with you soon.

References

1. SpecAcademy, Our Story — Born From a Shared Mission. MJH Life Sciences, 2026. https://www.mjhacademy.com/pages/about (accessed September 17, 2026).
2. SpecAcademy, Meet Our Instructors. MJH Life Sciences, 2026. https://www.mjhacademy.com/pages/instructors (accessed September 17, 2026).