Columbia Climate School Mace Bearer Carries a Tradition Forward

"With mace in hand, its bearer descends the steps of Low Library just ahead of the University's president. Their entrance to the stage signifies the University's "authority to confer degrees on the students of Columbia.""

"This year, there will be two mace bearers because there will be two ceremonies, one for graduate students in the morning and one for undergraduates in the afternoon. The honor has been bestowed on professors Michel Sadelain, director of the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy, and Kristina Douglass, associate professor of Climate at the Columbia Climate School."

"A recipient of numerous academic and professional awards for his work and breakthrough research, notably in CAR T-cell therapy, Sadelain will carry the mace at the University's graduate schools ceremony. Douglass, an archaeologist, is a 2025 MacArthur Fellow. Her work is grounded in ethical, collaborative partnerships with local, Indigenous, and descendant communities to address global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, and sustainability planning."

"The role of mace bearer came about in 1933, when John Munro Woolsey, a federal judge, donated the mace, an 18th-century reproduction of a mace designed in a style fashionable in England during the reign of James I (1603-1625). Woolsey, who is best known for his ruling that James Joyce's "Ulysses" was not obscene and could be published in the United States, was moved to make the donation because the mace was topped with a crown, a symbol of his alma mater's founding as King's College."

A silver-plated mace with acanthus leaves is carried in Columbia’s Commencement ceremonies. The mace bearer descends the steps of Low Library ahead of the University’s president, and the entrance to the stage signifies the University’s authority to confer degrees on students. Two mace bearers will participate because there are two ceremonies: one for graduate students in the morning and one for undergraduates in the afternoon. Michel Sadelain will carry the mace at the graduate ceremony, recognized for breakthrough CAR T-cell therapy research. Kristina Douglass will carry the mace at the undergraduate ceremony, grounded in ethical, collaborative partnerships with local, Indigenous, and descendant communities to address climate and sustainability challenges. The mace role began in 1933 when John Munro Woolsey donated an 18th-century reproduction topped with a crown tied to the founding of King’s College.

Read at State of the Planet