def METHOD_NAME(self, matpath, pklpath):
    """Writes pickled dictionary file from .mat file
    This method takes a .mat star catalog, converts it to a Python
    dictionary, pickles the dictionary, and stores it in the StarCatalog
    directory.
    Args:
        matpath (string):
            path to .mat file
        pklpath (str):
            pat to .pkl file to be written
    Returns:
        bool (boolean):
            True if successful, False if not
    Stores pickled dictionary file with same name as .mat file (and
    extension of .pkl) containing lists of required values needed to
    populate the Star Catalog object in StarCatalog directory.
    """
    if os.path.exists(matpath):
        # dictionary mapping MATLAB structure fields to required Python
        # object attribute names
        mat2pkl = {
            "NAME": "Name",
            "TYPE": "Type",
            "SPEC": "Spec",
            "PARX": "parx",
            "UMAG": "Umag",
            "BMAG": "Bmag",
            "VMAG": "Vmag",
            "RMAG": "Rmag",
            "IMAG": "Imag",
            "JMAG": "Jmag",
            "HMAG": "Hmag",
            "KMAG": "Kmag",
            "DIST": "dist",
            "BVNEW": "BV",
            "MV": "MV",
            "BC": "BC",
            "L": "L",
            "RADEG": "radeg",
            "DECDEG": "decdeg",
            "PMRA": "pmra",
            "PMDEC": "pmdec",
            "RV": "rv",
            "BINARY_CUT": "Binary_Cut",
        }
        y = {}  # empty dictionary to be pickled
        x = loadmat(matpath, squeeze_me=True, struct_as_record=False)
        x = x["S"]
        for field in mat2pkl:
            if field == "BINARY_CUT":
                bc = x.BINARY_CUT.tolist()
                y["Binary_Cut"] = [False] * len(bc)
                for i in range(len(bc)):
                    if bc[i] == "cut":
                        y["Binary_Cut"][i] = True
            else:
                y[mat2pkl[field]] = getattr(x, field).tolist()
        # store pickled y dictionary in file
        with open(pklpath, "wb") as f:
            pickle.dump(y, f)
        success = True
    else:
        self.vprint("%s does not exist in StarCatalog directory" % matpath)
        success = False
    return success