Mary C. Boyce, Provost Emerita

Mary C. Boyce served as Provost of Columbia University in the City of New York from 2021-2023. Boyce joined Columbia as Dean of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (Columbia Engineering) and the Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor of Engineering in July 2013. Prior to joining Columbia, Dean Boyce served on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for over 25 years, leading the Mechanical Engineering Department from 2008 to 2013.

Her research has focused on materials and mechanics, particularly in the areas of multi-scale and nonlinear mechanics of polymers and soft composites. Her leadership in the field of mechanics of materials has expanded understanding of the interplay between micro-geometry and the inherent physical behavior of a material, which has led to innovative molecular and hybrid material designs with novel properties. Her research has been documented in over 170 archival journal articles spanning materials, mechanics, and physics. She has mentored over 40 M.S. thesis students and over 25 Ph.D. students. She has been recognized for her scholarly contributions to the field, including election as a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering.

As Provost, Professor Boyce was the Chief Academic Officer of the University. In this role, Provost Boyce was committed to propelling the academic excellence, intellectual richness, creativity, and integrity of the many facets of Columbia University. Amongst her responsibilities, she led the development and implementation of Columbia’s academic plans and policies, supported and propelled the education and research aspirations of our Deans and Schools, managed all faculty appointments and the tenure review process, supported faculty recruitment and retention as we collectively aspire to diversify our faculty talent and expand our excellence, oversaw the international students and scholars office (introducing new programs on professional leadership and development for international students), seeded new education initiatives (from innovation in the classroom to new degree programs), and helped to lower barriers to cross-disciplinary academic initiatives to expand the individual and collective impact of faculty and students. Together with the Chief Financial Officer, Provost Boyce also oversaw the budgets of each School and the development of the University’s annual academic budget.

As Dean of Engineering and Applied Science, Dean Boyce led the education and research mission of Columbia Engineering expanding the faculty from 174 to over 230 with more than 1700 undergraduate students, 3000 graduate students, and 100 postdoctoral fellows. Together with the, faculty, Dean Boyce developed an inspiring vision for the School, Columbia Engineering for Humanity. This vision reflects the history, the aspirations, and the interdisciplinary nature of this distinctive engineering school embedded within a great Ivy League university with a shared commitment to the liberal arts and engagement with the world. Dean Boyce is a strong advocate for enabling interdisciplinary research and education collaborations across the School and the University, attracting and expanding the faculty talent in cross-cutting fields as wide ranging as Data Science, Nano Science, Advanced Materials and Devices, Sustainability and Climate, and Engineering in Health and Medicine – all guided by our underlying vision. Recruiting top talent has importantly increased our faculty and students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in engineering, further enhancing the excellence of SEAS. Dean Boyce has also introduced programs to facilitate and celebrate the creativity and innovation of students and faculty. She launched the Columbia MakerSpace, created Ignition Grants to support student independent creativity, supported summer research opportunities for undergraduate and Master’s students, established the SEAS Senior Design Expo, and launched the interdisciplinary Columbia Design Challenges on current cross-disciplinary challenges facing our world, and created the Professional Development and Leadership program for SEAS graduate students to prepare students for greater success in their careers and life. To further the intellectual pursuits and aspirations of students and faculty, SEAS underwent large scale space build-outs and renovations to transform over 150,000 square feet of space (research laboratories, classrooms, education laboratories, making and project labs, gathering and convening spaces) during her deanship.

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