(Ceremonial) mace in hand, this chemistry professor crushes gender norms

Mary Jo Ondrechen was recently elected chief by the cadre of marshals after professor Christopher Bosso, the chief marshal for the last three years, decided to make the position rotational. 

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Mary Jo Ondrechen dressed in regalia holding the ornamental staff at Convocation.
New chief marshal Mary Jo Ondrechen led the cadre of marshals into the President’s Convocation at Matthews Arena in September. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Carrying Northeastern’s ceremonial mace that’s topped with the university’s gold seal and a silver eagle, chief marshal Mary Jo Ondrechen made her debut at the President’s Convocation for new students at the start of the fall semester.

The new chief marshal led the cadre of marshals into Matthews Arena with a firm grip on the ornamental staff and a rich appreciation for the pomp and circumstance.

“I was lifting up the mace and saluting the students as I walked up the aisle, smiling at them,” Ondrechen says.

Ondrechen was recently elected chief by the cadre of marshals after professor Christopher Bosso, the chief marshal for the last three years, decided to make the position rotational. Ondrechen is the first female chief marshal. Traditionally, the chief marshals serve in the role until they retire from the university.

Headshot of Mary Jo Ondrechen.
Mary Jo Ondrechen, Northeastern professor of chemistry and chemical biology says she may have offered smiles to new students at convocation but takes the role seriously. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Many of the faculty marshals are longtime volunteers who enjoy being part of the cadre. 

“There is a strong sense of camaraderie,” Ondrechen says. “It’s fun working and getting to know people from different departments and different colleges.”

Ondrechen, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology and a 12-year member of the cadre, says she may have offered smiles to new students at convocation but takes the role seriously.

“The commencement ceremonies are very important because every student who earns a degree from Northeastern has worked hard for that degree, and commencement is our opportunity to honor the students and honor their hard work,” Ondrechen says.

The chief marshal is in charge of organizing the marshals’ logistics together with the Academic Ceremonies department.

“It’s our job to make sure that the ceremony goes well,” Ondrechen says.

There are different roles for the members in the cadre. For example, during the annual commencement in Fenway Park, some of them guide the graduating students from the staging areas to their seats by college in an organized manner. They provide advice on how to wear the regalia or put a hood on and deal with such emergencies as a missing tassel. 

There are members of the cadre that lead the stage party to the stage and a couple of marshals who stand at the stairway to the stage, making sure people go up and down the steps safely. 

Ondrechen has worked at Northeastern for 44 years. She specializes in theoretical and computational chemistry and computational biology. 

The Ondrechen Research Group studies the structure of proteins, prediction of the biochemical function of proteins based on their structure and the function of enzymes — proteins that speed up metabolism, or chemical reactions, in organisms. This could help the chemical industry switch to processes that use less energy and create fewer harmful byproducts.

Mary Jo Ondrechen wearing the chief marshall regalia.
The President’s Convocation at Matthews Arena in September. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

The group also conducts computational research for drug discovery. For example, Ondrechen is part of a project developing treatments for amoebic encephalitis, a rare and deadly brain infection.

The group was one of the first to use machine learning in biochemistry as far back as 2008.

Ondrechen is also a strong supporter of diversity in STEM. She chaired the board of directors of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society from 2011-2013 and helped create a program to guide Native American students toward academic careers. 

Ondrechen was a Fulbright Faculty Research Fellow in Budapest in 2021, and her work is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

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