This volume will contain contributions from researchers who have been associated with Professor Leite's long career in science and science management. After an extremely successful career as a research physicist at Bell Labs, Professor Leite returned to Brazil, where he was instrumental in founding the Institute of Physics of the State University of Campinas. His record in research and scientific leadership, together with his concern with social issues related to Science and Technology, has made him one of the most respected voices of the Brazilian scientific community.The contributions in this volume are centered around Optical Properties of Condensed Matter. However, given the broad spectrum of Professor Leite's activities, it is natural that some authors have contributed papers on other fields.