MRS Press Release

WARRENDALE, PA—The Materials Research Society (MRS) is pleased to announce Kevin Whittlesey, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, as its new chair of the Government Affairs Committee (GAC), effective July 1, 2015. Whittlesey, formerly chair of the MRS Congressional Fellow Subcommittee, will be a major contributor to the overall direction of MRS government affairs activities. He succeeds Nabil D. Bassim, United States Naval Research Laboratory, who provided seven years of outstanding service and leadership to MRS and its advocacy and public policy activities.

Whittlesey brings 10 years of government and policy experience to MRS, starting as a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)-funded postdoctoral fellow at Aastrom Biosciences, followed by his 2006-2007 MRS/OSA Congressional Science Fellowship, where he worked in the office of Representative Doris Matsui. After completing his fellowship, Whittlesey stayed in Congress as a legislative assistant for Representative Anna Eshoo. He spent two years at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Commissioner’s Fellow working in the Office of the Chief Scientist on regenerative medicine regulatory policy. In his most current position as a Senior Science Officer at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the state’s stem cell research funding agency, Whittlesey works as a member of the Organ Systems Development Team, involved with translational projects advancing stem cell-based therapies to early phase clinical trials.

"It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve on the GAC these past six years," said Whittlesey. "I continue to be impressed by the accomplishments the GAC has made due to the strong base of dedicated volunteers and excellent leadership. I have been proud to chair our Congressional Fellowships program and am both honored by, and excited about, the opportunity to chair the full committee. The need for a strong and effective voice for the materials research community in Washington, DC continues and will only grow in the current political and fiscal climate. I look forward to working closely with the GAC volunteers and other MRS members and leadership to help guide and expand the MRS efforts in the policy areas that are critically important to materials research."

"MRS is thrilled to have Kevin on board as the new chair of the Government Affairs Committee," said MRS Executive Director Todd Osman. "His experience with government, materials science and MRS will be a great asset as MRS expands its advocacy efforts on behalf of the materials community.”

Whittlesey has served on the MRS Government Affairs Committee since 2009 and has chaired the Congressional Fellowships Subcommittee since 2010. He received his PhD degree in biological sciences from Northwestern University, for which he developed novel biomaterials to treat spinal cord injury.