Mary C. Boyce to Receive Honorary Degree from Notre Dame

Mary C. Boyce, professor of mechanical engineering, dean emerita of Columbia Engineering, and provost emerita at Columbia University, will receive an honorary degree from the University of Notre Dame during its Commencement ceremony on May 17. She also will deliver the keynote address during the Graduate School’s annual Commencement Ceremony on May 16 at the Notre Dame Stadium.

A widely recognized leader in polymeric materials, Boyce co-created the Arruda-Boyce mode, the Bergstrom-Boyce model for rate-dependence of elastomers and other models of nonlinear polymer behavior widely used in design of elastomeric and polymeric products.

Her tenure as dean of Columbia Engineering was transformative, attracting exceptional talent, and elevating the school to be among the top engineering programs in the nation.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized by Notre Dame and to be joining company with my fellow honorary degree recipients, a truly distinguished group of leaders and thinkers,” said Boyce, who will be named an honorary doctor of engineering. “I'm looking forward to being part of Notre Dame’s iconic Commencement ceremony and joining with the spirited ‘Fighting Irish’ community in celebration.”

During Boyce’s tenure as dean, the faculty ranks expanded by more than 100 members covering a wide range of fields across engineering and applied science. She doubled the number of female faculty, as well as the number of female faculty with tenure.

“We congratulate Professor Mary Boyce on this well-deserved honor,” said Shih-Fu Chang, dean of Columbia Engineering. “While her own contributions to mechanics and materials science have led to novel breakthroughs, her leadership as the previous dean of Columbia Engineering and University Provost has left a lasting legacy at Columbia and set a visionary path forward for the engineering school. We continue to benefit from her presence on our faculty and her dedication to research and education.”

Prior to Columbia, Boyce was a faculty member at MIT for 25 years. Boyce’s contributions to the field led to her election as a fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and her election to the National Academy of Engineering. She is the recipient of numerous honors, including the 2024 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Mechanical Engineering, the 2020 Timoshenko Medal, and the 2015 Engineering Science Medal.