Executive Staff

Communications Department

Eileen M. Kiley, Director

Eileen M. Kiley, Director of Communications, joined MRS in 2000.  Eileen oversees MRS’s broad communications program, which includes journal and book publishing, news, digital media, web communications, marketing, and public relations. Eileen works closely with volunteers, headquarters staff, and partners, leading efforts to expand and enhance the MRS communications portfolio. Before joining MRS, Eileen worked as acquisitions editor at the University of Pittsburgh Press. She holds a B.A. in English as well as a Masters of Business Administration. She is an active member of the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), including two years as co-chair of the Annual Meeting Program Committee and a three-year term on the Board of Directors.

Finance and Administration Department

J. Ardie (Butch) Dillen, Director

J. Ardie (Butch) Dillen, the MRS 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 B.S. 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.

Meetings Activities Department

Patricia A. Hastings, Director

Patricia A. Hastings, Director of Meetings Activities, joined the Materials Research Society Executive Team in 1999 as the Director of Meeting Activities. Pat’s broad-based experience includes executive positions in meeting planning, sales, marketing and customer service in both private, for-profit industries and association spheres. Her notable association experience included five years at the Society of Automotive Engineers (now, simply “SAE”) and three years with the Iron and Steel Society (now AIST). Pat is the in-house lead for the development of all MRS meetings-related scientific content, working with materials research volunteers to create dynamic technical programming. She also has primary budgetary responsibility and oversight for the meeting infrastructure, logistics and exhibition. Last, she oversees the MRS Conference Services program, which offers MRS contract services to autonomous scientific communities seeking operational and programmatic expertise and assistance.

Volunteer Affairs

Michele 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.