Returning to Tucson: The 2026 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry

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The Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry will convene in Tucson, Arizona, from January 11–17, 2026, with short courses beginning on January 9 (1). This long-running international meeting continues to serve as one of the most significant forums for scientists working with plasma-based techniques in atomic spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS).

According to the International Atomic Spectrometry Association (IASA), the 2026 iteration of this conference is set to draw approximately 500 participants representing 30 countries (1). The conference was originally established in response to the growing importance of plasma sources for atomization, excitation, and ionization in spectrochemical analysis. Today, it remains an important event for researchers to share the latest advancements in theory, instrumentation, and applications (1).

The technical program will feature symposia chaired by leading experts, covering a wide range of important topics. Sessions will address advances in sample introduction and transport phenomena, nanomaterial analysis, elemental speciation, metallomics, and automation in sample preparation (1). Other highlights will include plasma instrumentation developments, which include advanced detectors, microplasma, chemometrics, and remote-system automation (1). There will also be a series of specialized symposia that will tackle the latest in plasma source mass spectrometry, glow discharge techniques, laser-assisted plasma spectrometry, and isotope analysis (1).

The conference leadership team for this conference includes Program Chairs Derrick Quarles, Jr., Jake Shelley, and Vassilia Zorba. Additional chairs oversee short courses (Dulasiri Amarasiriwardena), plenary and heritage programming (Ken Marcus), vendor coordination (Chuck Schneider and Benjamin Manard), and awards (Mary Kate Donais, Gerardo Gamez, and Norbert Jakubowski) (1,2).

For 2026, the conference organizers are putting together an extensive list of invited speakers. Currently, there are three Heritage Lecture speakers set to give talks in Tucson, including Steve Pappas, Alexander Scheeline, and Vahid Majidi (2). Meanwhile, the list of invited speakers continues to grow, with 15 experts on it currently (2).

With its mix of high-level science, professional networking, and collaborative exchange, the 2026 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry promises to once again be an essential event for researchers, practitioners, and industry professionals working in plasma-based analytical sciences.

References

1. International Atomic Spectrometry Association, Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry. IASA. Available at: https://iasa.world/winter-plasma-conference (accessed 2025-08-22).
2. International Atomic Spectrometry Association, 2026 US Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry. IASA. Available at: https://iasa.world/wpc-speakers (accessed 2025-08-22).