Virginia Tech® home

Mary Cunningham Boyce

Mary Cunningham Boyce with her Academy of Engineering Excellence award.

B.S., Engineering Science and Mechanics, 1981
Induction year: 2024

Mary Cunningham Boyce’s passion for mathematics and physics led her to Virginia Tech’s renowned engineering program. Her exploration of engineering majors, participation in the co-op program, and an inspiring instructor in Mechanics of Deformable Bodies set her on a path to an academic research career in mechanics of materials.

One of Boyce’s most transformative experiences was being part of a small group of engineering students selected to travel to the Soviet Union in 1979. This journey across different cities and universities in the USSR, and interacting with students there, helped her appreciate cultural differences and shared aspirations. This sparked her interest in learning more about different cultures and parts of the world.

On the academic front, she had the opportunity to conduct independent research projects in computation and perform experiments on composite materials. These experiences allowed her to explore the state-of-the-art frontiers of engineering, ultimately leading her to graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Boyce is known for the Arruda-Boyce model, developed with Ellen Arruda, revolutionizing our understanding of polymeric materials. The model predicts the three-dimensional mechanical behavior of elastomers, with applications in engineering, biology, and medicine. Her legacy continues through her students and postdocs advancing global soft polymer research.

Among her many accomplishments, Boyce has received the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Mechanical Engineering from The Franklin Institute, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and is an American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellow.

Current town:
New York City, New York

Hometown:
Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Professional roles:

  • Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 2023-Present
  • Provost Emerita, Columbia University, 2023-Present
  • Dean Emerita, Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Columbia University, 2023-Present
  • Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Columbia University, 2021-2023   
  • Dean and Schapiro Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Columbia University, 2013-2021   
  • Ford Professor of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011-2013  
  • Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008-2013
  • Gail E. Kendall Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000-2011
  • Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999-2013
  • Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1992-1999
  • Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987-1992
  • Martin Marietta Denver Aerospace, 1981-1982  

Professional awards:

  • Benjamin Franklin Medal in Mechanical Engineering, The Franklin Institute, 2024
  • Timoshenko Medal for Advances in Applied Mechanics, Applied Mechanics Division, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2020
  • Engineering Science Medal, Society of Engineering Science, 2015
  • Member, National Academy of Engineering, 2012
  • Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2004
  • Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2004
  • MacVicar Faculty Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000
  • Fellow, American Academy of Mechanics, 1999
  • Special Achievement Award for Young Investigator in Applied Mechanics, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1998
  • Joseph Henry Keenan Innovation in Undergraduate Education Award, 1998
  • GenCorp Signature University Award, 1998
  • Joel and Ruth Spira Teaching Award, 1997
  • ALCOA Foundation Awards, 1988, 1991
  • DuPont Young Faculty Award, 1992-1995
  • NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award, 1991

Boards and committees:

  • Advisory Board, The Boston Dynamics Artificial Intelligence Institute, 2023-Present
  • Independent Director, Altair Engineering, 2018-Present
  • Dow Corning Technical Advisory Board, 2012-2015

Volunteer roles:

  • National Academy of Engineering, Draper Prize Committee, 2015-2022 (Chair, 2020-2022)
  • Queen Elizabeth Prize Committee, 2017-2021
  • Team Co-Lead and Expert Consultant/Advisor, New York L-train Tunnel Reconstruction Design and Process, 2018-2019
  • National Academy of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Peer Committee, 2014-2017 (Chair, 2017)
  • External Board, Mechanical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2017
  • Pro-Bono Technical Expert, New York City Crane Safety Working Group, 2016
  • External Board, School of Engineering, Princeton University, 2015
  • External Board, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Tech, 2012
  • External Board, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton, 2012
  • National Academies Board on Army Science and Technology, 2012
  • External Board, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2010, 2016
  • External Board, School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnic Federal Lausanne, 2009
  • External Board, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2008
  • External Board, Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, 2008
  • National Academy of Engineering/National Research Council Committee on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering, 2006-2008
  • External Board, Mechanical Engineering: Purdue University, 2004
  • U.S. National Congress on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 2000, 2001
  • ASME Applied Mechanics Division Executive Committee, 1999-2004

Why did you decide to come to Virginia Tech?
I enjoyed math and physics throughout my earlier education and was advised to consider engineering when applying to college. Virginia Tech had an outstanding reputation in engineering, was affordable for my family, and had a beautiful campus.

Who influenced you during your career and/or time at Virginia Tech?
I was lucky to have several amazing faculty, from some of my very first engineering classes to later independent research projects, who encouraged me at Virginia Tech. Of particular importance were Wally Peters, Robert Heller, Bill Saric, Michael Hyer, and J.N. Reddy.

How did you decide what to major in at Virginia Tech?
I was very interested in math and physics but had no experience or knowledge regarding engineering. At Virginia Tech, I was able to explore engineering and its different majors. I participated in the co-op program and these work experiences helped me understand what areas of engineering were of greatest interest to me. I was also very fortunate to have an amazing instructor in Mechanics of Deformable Bodies where I saw the power of combining math and physics to examine real structures, engineer the design of a structure, and learn about the engineering mechanics major. This set my whole direction going forward, not just at Virginia Tech but to pursue an academic research career in the mechanics of materials.

What are your favorite memories from Virginia Tech? 
I have many wonderful memories:

  • Academically: Being able to pursue independent research projects in computation and experiments on composite materials enabled me to experience state-of-the-art frontiers of engineering, which ultimately led me to graduate school.
  • Personally: I gained a greater appreciation for exploring and fun in the outdoors — from traying on a snowy winter day or tubing down the river in the summer to hiking and even caving.
  • International exposure: I was fortunate to have been one of a small group of engineering students selected to travel to the Soviet Union in 1979. This was a transformative experience for me as we traveled across the USSR to many different cities and universities in a country radically different from ours. We met many students and I gained an appreciation for our differences and our shared aspirations. This also fueled my interest in learning more about different cultures and parts of the world.

What led you to your chosen profession?
My academic experiences at Virginia Tech were a launching point for my entire career. They provided my first exposure to how math and physics inform modern engineering as well as provide a basis for fundamental research. These opportunities gave me the confidence to pursue a doctoral degree at MIT and my ongoing academic career in research in a highly interdisciplinary field. I’m always bringing fundamental mechanics together with materials and structures to understand and design the microstructure of a material to achieve new properties and functions.

What advice would you share with your younger self just starting in your career?
 Embrace and develop all of your talents and skills, from the intellectual to the emotional. They all come into play in many ways and at different times. You should aspire to bring your engineering talent to impact humanity. In the face of challenges, be thoughtful, persistent, ethical, optimistic, and, most of all, human. Draw on your guiding principles around excellence, fairness, and integrity, and maintain your moral compass. Never lose your curiosity and sense of wonder and discovery. Be open to new ideas and different directions. Find joy in your work and your life.

Please note: Inductee spotlight is as of the year of their induction.