Report from the Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference (NSS/MIC), and Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors Conference (RTSD)

The 2024 hurricane season took an unexpected interest in the city of Tampa, a city that hadn’t experienced such storms in decades. In September, Hurricane Helene hit the area, and just two weeks later, Hurricane Milton made landfall, causing significant devastation. At the time, many were uncertain whether the conference would take place. However, thanks to the resilience and preparedness of the citizens, first responders, and authorities in this beautiful city, we were able to proceed with the 2024 NSS/MIC/RTSD without major concerns. We are deeply grateful to the City of Tampa and everyone involved for their incredible support.

Despite the challenges, the conference attracted around 1,400 registered participants, 56 exhibitors, and seven sponsors (NIH, Brightonix Imaging, JCNS, Luxium Solutions, RMD/Hilger, NPSS, and NK&K). The event featured a rich program, including seven short courses, six workshops, and seven special events. The technical program, led by Technical Chairs Sara Pozzi and Stefan Ritt (NSS), Georges El Fakhri and Kira Grogg (MIC), and Ralph James and Michael Fiederle (RTSD), ran from Monday, October 28^st to Saturday, November 2^nd, offering 62 oral sessions and six poster sessions. We were fortunate that the venue could accommodate all the accepted submissions without compromising space or quality.

A key goal of our Society is to organize impactful conferences, but it is also essential to recognize and celebrate the achievements of deserving members. Our conferences serve as a platform for this recognition. This year, we honored several exceptional colleagues, including:

• Dr. Ge Yang (North Carolina State University) – Emilio Gatti Radiation Instrumentation Technical Achievement Award
• Dr. Francis Loignon-Houle (formerly at Universitat Politècnica de València) – Radiation Instrumentation Early Career Award
• Dr. Paul Lecoq (Institute for Instrumentation in Molecular Imaging, i3M, and CERN) – IEEE Edward J. Hoffman Medical Imaging Scientist Award
• Dr. Antonio Gonzalez (Institute for Instrumentation in Molecular Imaging, i3M) – IEEE Freek J. Beekman Medical Imaging Technical Achievement Award
• Dr. Bo Zhou (Northwestern University) – IEEE Bruce H. Hasegawa Young Investigator Medical Imaging Science Award
• Ming Fang  (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) Glenn F. Knoll Graduate Educational Grant
• Audrey Corbeil-Therrien (Université de Sherbrooke) – Women in Engineering Leadership Development Travel Grant
• Dr. Ralf Engels (Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH; JCNS) – NPSS Richard F. Shea Distinguished Member Award
• Dr. Richard E. Carson – 2024 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Award

Thanks to generous sponsorships, we were able to recognize the best oral and poster presentations, as well as award 184 Trainee Grants. We also celebrated six recipients of the prestigious Valentin T. Jordanov Travel Grant:

• Riccardo Latella (Metacrystal SA/i3M, Spain)
• Sherryn MacLeod (University of Wollongong, Australia)
• Ana Catarina Monteiro Magalhaes (University of Aveiro, Portugal)
• Beatrice Pedretti (Politecnico di Milano/INFN, Italy)
• ElMehdi Rtimi (Université de Sherbrooke, Canada)
• Ziyuan Zhou (University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA)

These grants, made possible by sponsorships, are also a testament to the dedication of one of our most experienced and tireless volunteers, Merry Keyser, who will soon retire from her volunteer activities. Merry’s contributions to our Society have been immeasurable, and she will be deeply missed by everyone. We wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement!

This year was especially meaningful as we celebrated the 75th anniversary of our Society, NPSS. I am proud to have been part of this milestone, working alongside my colleagues on the Conference Committee and NPSS President Vesna Sossi. It was fantastic to see banners and visuals around the venue recognizing this achievement, and to participate in the special celebrations held during the conference. Please join me in wishing NPSS many more anniversaries, and if you haven’t already, I encourage you to become a member!

Now, the organization of the next conference is in the capable hands of General Chair Hiroyuki Takahashi and his committee. I hope to see you all in Yokohama later this year, from November 1^st to November 8^th, 2025.

Lorenzo Fabris, 2024 NSS/MIC/RTSD General Chair, can be reached by E-mail at [email protected].