Stephen P. LaMont, Chair.

Samuel E. Glover, Program Chair.

We were excited to host the 12th International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radioanalytical Chemistry (MARC XII) April 3–8, 2022 after a one year delay due to the COVID pandemic. This was the first opportunity for many to participate in a conference in over two years, and it was wonderful to see both long-time and new colleagues enthusiastically share their work and engage in vibrant conversation. We returned to our original venue, the King Kamehameha Courtyard by Marriott, home to the first seven MARC Conferences and situated in beautiful downtown Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States.

A key highlight of MARC XII was the presentation of the 2020 Hevesy Medal to Dr. Stefaan Pommé from the European Commission Joint Research Center Geel, in recognition of his worldwide leadership in radioactivity measurements at the highest level of accuracy, providing absolute standards, accurate decay data, and innovative methods. Prof. A. Chatt presented the award at the opening ceremony for the conference, and Dr. Pommé provided a stimulating overview of his career achievements in metrology. We would like to thank the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, sponsor of the Hevesy Medal, for the opportunity to present this prestigious award at MARC.

Fundamental to the success of any conference is the quality of the technical program and the session organizers who stimulate contributions. The MARC XII program was divided into six topical tracks, including: Nuclear Security and Forensics (A. Gaffney, S. LaMont, H. Miley, S. Biegalski); Environmental Radioactivity (P. Pavinec, H. Spitz, E. Widom, G. Steinhauser, T. Hamilton, S. Pike, and A. Kersting); Activation Analysis, Neutron Beams and Imaging (A. Chatt, L. Cao, K. Ünlü, R.G. Downing); Analytical Methods of Fission Products and Fuels (D. Haas, A. Co, D. DiPrete, R. Brennetot); Nuclear Science and Education (K. Inn, E. Bond, C. Walther, R. Essex, L. Tandon, W. Runde); and a General Track. We would like to express our appreciation to the track organizers listed above, along with additional individuals that helped organize sessions under each track, including: N. Marks, R. Chamberlin, A. Reinhard, J. Manion, A. Craft, H. Bilheux, P. Trtik, B. Schillinger, T. Sinohara, R. Sudowe, F. Pointurier, R. Steiner, T. Kell, D. Child, H. Chen-Mayer, J. Sterba, A. Hutter, A. Ringbom, P. Kaye, M. Higginson, P. Thompson, H. Dulai, D. Holcomb, S. Shahbazi, G. Lasche, C. Aalseth, J. Burnett, E. Conte, K. McHugh, A. Erickson, M. Joyce, T. Kayzar-Boggs, S. Pommé, T. Parsons-Davis, T. Bredeweg, J. Bowen, O.C. Lind, C. Zeissler, C. Bonamici, and M. Simpson.

One especially encouraging aspect of MARC XII was the number of new attendees, which accounted for nearly half of presenters, and included nearly 50 students. The University of Texas Austin, The Ohio State University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology sponsored a student mixer, offering a great opportunity for students to discuss their interests with potential employers. We were able to give a number of monetary awards graciously sponsored by the Isotope and Radiation Division of the American Nuclear Society to the top student presenters. Awardees included Vanessa Pichler, TU Wein; Hanna Patenaude, University of Nevada Las Vegas; Tingshiuan C. Wu, University of Michigan; and Michaella Swinhart, Colorado State University.

We would not be able to pull off a successful conference without the volunteer efforts of the MARC XII Organizing Committee. Our sincere appreciation goes to our longest-serving organizer, Jim Tanner, our Finance and Housing Chair, who has been with MARC since its inception. Invaluable contributions came from Robert Steiner, Assistant Finance and Housing Chair, and Assistant Program Chairs Steve Biegalski, Raymond Cao, and George Steinhauser. Our Publicity Chair, Harry Miley, and assistants Jeremy Inglis and Johnathan Burnett, pulled together key support from sponsors. We truly appreciate the efforts of Annie Kersting, liaison to the Northern California Section of the American Nuclear Society. Jim Bowen and Jung Rim, our Student Coordination Chairs, did an excellent job of organizing a cadre of student assistants to support each session. Our Technology Officer, Daniel Glover, did an outstanding job of designing and maintaining the MARC website. Sherry Glover was key to organizing the proceedings and keeping the conference running smoothly. Finally, we would have been lost without Danielle Roybal, our Conference Executive, who brilliantly executed registration, answered the many attendee questions, and kept us on track with administering a successful conference.

The support of Mirion Technologies, IsotopX, ORTEC (AMETEK), ThermoFisher Scientific, Eckert & Ziegler, Nu Instruments (AMETEK), Cameca (AMETEK), ESI Elemental Scientific Inc., and PHDS Co. were critical to the success of MARC XII. Special thanks are due to Prof. Zolt Révay, Editor-In-Chief, Dr. Tibor G. Kocsor, and Prof. A. Chatt of the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, for assistance in publishing these Proceedings in a timely fashion. We would like to express the appreciation for the support of Isotopes and Radiation Division of the American Nuclear Society, and the assistance of Paula Cappelletti, Chief Operating Officer of the American Nuclear Society.

Finally, we would like to encourage all readers to keep informed and plan to attend MARC XIII, scheduled for April 2025 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA. Information on the conference can be found at the conference website: http://www.marcconference.org.