NCFR member Margaret K. Keiley, Ph.D., LMFT, died on Oct. 1, 2018, at age 76. 

Dr. Keiley received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and philosophy at Denison University (Ohio), and taught high school mathematics in the Boston area and worked for MIT Lincoln Labs. She then earned an M.Ed. in family theory and counseling from the University of Massachusetts in Boston, followed by an Ed.M. in counseling and consulting psychology and Ed.D. in Human Development and Psychology, both from Harvard University.

Following a post-doctoral fellowship in developmental psychopathology at Vanderbilt University, she became an associate professor of marriage and family therapy at Purdue University. Beginning in 2004, she served on the faculty of Auburn University, serving as an associate and then full professor of marriage and family therapy and professor of human development and family studies.

Dr. Keiley made significant contributions to the family field. She received numerous federal grants, published countless manuscripts and book chapters, and presented regularly at local and national conferences, including NCFR conferences. She was a highly accomplished methodologist, researcher, and therapist and received a number of awards for her work, including the Distinguished Research Award from the American Educational Research Association in 2003 and the Walter S. Rosenberry Award for Distinguished Contributions in the Field of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences in 2007.

Dr. Keiley was, in her own words, extremely committed to promoting evidence-based treatment for individuals, couples, and families. The prevailing theme of her work was the development and treatment of problem behaviors of children, adolescents, and adults. Her theory-focused research focused on risk and protective factors that might be involved in the development of behaviors during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. She pioneered the Multiple Family Group Intervention (MFGI), for use with incarcerated adolescents/adults and their families/partners, and put it into practice at a juvenile correctional facility in Alabama, bettering the lives of incarcerated youth and their families. 

Dr. Keiley's greatest legacy is her profound influence on her students, some of whom have provided tributes in their own words on her obituary. A celebration of her life will be held in Auburn, Alabama, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, followed by a reception. An additional celebration will be held in the Philadelphia area. 

 See the full obituary for more information.