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About MRS

Publishing Alliance

MRS publishes with Springer Nature

 

Executive Staff

MRS headquarters is committed to partnering with the Board of Directors and the operating committees as we fulfill the MRS mission for the advancement of interdisciplinary materials research to improve the quality of life. The headquarters staff is functionally organized into the departments shown below. Each department contains a professional staff that is dedicated to delivering the highest quality meetings, publications, communications and logistical services for the society.

Information on the entire MRS headquarters staff and contact information is available here.

Executive Director

Todd Osman

Todd M. Osman

Todd M. Osman, Executive Director of the Materials Research Society (MRS), received his PhD degree in materials science and engineering from Case Western Reserve University and serves on the Board of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives. During his tenure, MRS has enhanced its focus on broadening participation in science and engineering; grown its awards, education, and student programs; and expanded its communications and meetings portfolio. Dr. Osman spent 11 years at United States Steel Corporation, where he received peer and corporate recognition for his research and coordinated cooperative R&D programs in North America, Europe and Asia. He has authored numerous articles and given invited talks on topics including commercial and social impact of materials, innovation, leadership, diversity and inclusion, product development, and fracture of materials. 

Programs Department

Eileen M. Kiley

Eileen M. Kiley, Director

Eileen M. Kiley, Director of Programs, joined MRS in 2000.  Eileen oversees MRS’s meeting activities, journal and book publishing portfolio, news, web communications, marketing, and public relations. Eileen works closely with volunteers, headquarters staff, and partners, leading efforts to develop, expand and enhance these MRS programs. Before joining MRS, Eileen served as acquisitions editor at the University of Pittsburgh Press. She holds a BA degree in English as well as a Masters of Business Administration. Eileen is a member of the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) and has served in several volunteer roles, including two years as Annual Meeting Program Committee co-chair as well as a term on the Board of Directors. She is currently on the Kent State University National Alumni Board of Directors. 

Finance and Administration Department

Ardie (Butch) DillenJ. Ardie (Butch) Dillen, Director

J. Ardie (Butch) Dillen, the Director of Finance and Administration, joined MRS in November 2010. He has a broad-based business and financial background stemming from his experience as a senior business consultant, as President/CEO and Senior Vice President-Finance and Administration of a Pittsburgh-area community bank, and as an audit supervisor with a national Certified Public Accounting firm. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of numerous for profit and nonprofit organizations. Dillen is a CPA and earned his BS degrees in administration management, math and economics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the Pennsylvania and American Institutes of Certified Public Accountants. Dillen has extensive service as an active volunteer with several nonprofit community and financial industry organizations.

Government Affairs

Damon Dozier

Damon Dozier, Director

Damon Dozier, Director of Government Affairs, joined MRS in September 2014. Based in Washington, D.C., his duties include developing government relations strategies and programs, informing members about legislative developments, and serving as a chief advocate on interdisciplinary materials research and technology issues. Prior to joining MRS, Damon served as the Director of Public Affairs for the American Anthropological Association (AAA). He has over 20 years of government and policy experience, including serving as an Assistant Advocate for Environmental Policy with the Small Business Administration, a Legislative Assistant on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and the Director of Government and Public Affairs for the National Small Business Association. Dozier also served as the Legislative Director for former Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald. Dozier received his BA degree in 1989 from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and is an active member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Council of Engineering and Social Science Executives (CESSE).

Volunteer Affairs

Michele FederMichele L. Feder, Associate Director

Michele L. Feder, Associate Director of Engagement, joined MRS in February 2012.  During her tenure, she has worked closely with MRS volunteers and staff to expand the Society’s inclusion and diversity efforts, awards portfolio, University Chapters, student and early career programs, career services, professional development offerings, and industry engagement activities. Prior to joining MRS, Michele served in executive leadership roles for a human resources professional society and a global trade association representing the automatic identification and data capture industry. She also has provided consulting services to not-for profit organizations of various sizes and scopes over the course of her career. Michele attended Point Park University with a major in Accounting and minor in Business Management and holds the credential of Certified Association Executive (CAE). She is a past Board Member of the Pittsburgh Society of Association Executives (PSAE) and the Western Pennsylvania Diversity Initiative and has been an active volunteer with various professional societies and community-based organizations for many years.
   
  

Programs Department

Gopal RaoGopal R. Rao, Chief Editor for Technical Content

Gopal R. Rao, Chief Editor for Technical Content, joined MRS in 1997. Prior to MRS, he was a research faculty and a postdoctoral fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) where he explored ion beam implantation and irradiation effects in metals and polymers, and simulating neutron irradiation effects for materials in the spallation neutron source. At MRS, he has been involved in many online and electronic initiatives including developing the earliest science content for the fledgling MRS website, and initiating the Materials360 and Meeting Scene e-newsletters. Since 2011, he has been Editor of MRS Bulletin, the Society’s flagship publication. He became Chief Editor for Technical Content in 2020, with a focus on developing technical content and integrating content across MRS programs. Gopal has a PhD degree in materials engineering from ORNL/Auburn University. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed papers in scholarly journals, numerous research news articles and miscellaneous materials-related publications. He has also presented at several scientific conferences. In 2015, he received an outstanding materials engineering alumnus award from Auburn University. He was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2019.