Regents name M. Katherine Banks sole finalist for Texas A&M President

M. Katherine Banks was named by the Texas A&M University System Regents on Wednesday as the sole finalist to become the Texas A&M University’s next president.

“This is a tremendous honor,” Banks said. “The core values of Texas A&M, its rich traditions, unique culture and commitment to the greater good is the very foundation of this great university and resonates deeply with me.”

Banks currently serves as Texas A&M Vice Chancellor of Engineering and National Laboratories as well as Dean of Engineering. She supervises coordination and collaboration among engineering, academic and research programs through the Texas A&M system and three state agencies.

WATCH: Kathy Banks speaks about the Aggie Spirit at the 2017 A&M Legacy Society Dinner

“The Board was excited to know the search yielded tremendous interest and many qualified candidates,” said Elaine Mendoza, Chairman of the Board of Regents. “The Board is confident that Dr. Banks will lead the university to even greater heights while celebrating the traditions and spirit that make Texas A&M unique.”

She leads A&M’s engineering school, which is among the largest in the nation with more than 20,000 students.

“Where is there a dean in the U.S. who has accomplished what Dean Banks has accomplished?” asked Chancellor John Sharp. “If she can do for the university what she did for engineering, imagine what the university can achieve!”

Banks replaces John Junkins, who has filled the position of president in an interim role since January 1 following the retirement of Michael K. Young.

Her promotion to president is another step in a decorated career in education and research.

An Elected Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Banks was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2014. She serves as a board member and principal executive engaged with Triad National Security for the management and operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Between the engineering agencies, Banks has oversight of $310 million in sponsored research. She has research backgrounds in microbial systems, biofilm processes, wastewater treatment and reuse and phytoremediation bioremediation.

Clay Taylor, TexAgs

Michael K. Young served as the university’s 25th president from May 2015 to December 2020.

She also helped start Texas A&M’s EnMed program, which aims to educate physicians who will create new technology in health care.

Banks was named to the Board of Directors of Halliburton in 2019.

Banks received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Florida in 1982. She then earned a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of North Carolina in 1989. She earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in civil and environmental engineering from Duke University in 1989.

She was an associate professor at Kansas State University from 1989 to 1997. She then joined the faculty of Purdue University, where she served as a professor in the civil engineering department from 1997-2012, when she left for Texas A&M.