[3][6][7] In 1999, she married Eric Baer, who was the Chairman of the Department of Macromolecular Science at Case Western Reserve University at that time.
[3][6] After receiving her PhD in 1967, Hiltner began working as a research associate at Case Western Reserve University.
[14] In 1998, CAPRI collaborated with the Center for Research of Macromolecules at the former Joseph Fourier University (now a part of the Université Grenoble Alpes).
[15] Hiltner was named the Herbert Henry Dow Professor of Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in 2004.
[6][8] In 2006, Hiltner secured funding from the NSF to found the multimillion-dollar Center for Layered Polymeric Systems (CLiPS) at Case Western Reserve University, which she would be the director of until her death.
[2][3][4][6][16] According to the NSF award, CLiPS aims to "create a broadly integrated program of research and education through the vehicle of a unique microlayering and nanolayering processing technology developed at Case Western Reserve University.
[17] In addition to her polymer science work at Case Western Reserve, Hiltner also was a member of the Women's Center Executive Committee in 2001.
[8][9][10][19] Hiltner was quite involved in the American Chemical Society, serving as an Alternate Councilor in 1978, being a member of the Executive Committee in the Division of Polymer Chemistry from 1979 until 1981, and being a PMSE Fellow in 2006.