IMA Committees

IMA Mediation Committee

In 2022 the IMA President Group (former, past, present, future) decided to create a “Mediation Committee” to be composed of colleagues who have experience in IMA affairs and who are known for their diplomatic and balanced approach to addressing potential problems. Any significant concern involving nomenclature, the ratification of new minerals, or any issue related to one of the other Commissions and Working Groups, or even of a general nature, can now be addressed in this way. Representing a consortium of well-known scientists, this committee will then discuss the problem at hand, will ask one or more independent experts/referees for a written expertise/report if necessary, and will then communicate the results to the group of IMA Presidents with a suggestion on how to solve the issue.

Any colleague who feels that a problem has arisen during interaction with one of the commissions or groups constituting IMA can consult the Mediation Committee. This committee will then try to solve the problem with that particular group. Please note that this committee is not a “decision-making committee” and that prior to any consultation of the Mediation Committee, the IMA group involved must first be contacted in order to attempt to find a solution. 

The current members of the Mediation Committee, consisting of former medalists, former presidents and other independent well-known scientists, are:

Christian Chopin
(ENS-Paris, France)
Jane Gillotti
(University of Iowa, USA)
Catherine McCammon
(Bavarian Research Institute, Germany)
Walter Maresch
(Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany)

We recommend contacting the IMA Mediation Committee using this email.

In case one of the members of the committee should retire, a new member will be designated after discussion between the group of presidents of IMA mentioned above and the remaining committee members.


IMA Medal Committee

The International Mineralogical Association bestows an IMA medal for excellence in mineralogical research, which is awarded for scientific excellence and eminence, as represented by long-term outstanding scientific publication in the field of mineralogical sciences. It is to be considered as one of the pre-eminent awards in mineralogical research, and represents a life-time achievement award.

The composition of the current IMA medal committee is provided here.