M. Katherine Banks
Kathy Banks | |
|---|---|
| 26th President of Texas A&M University | |
| In office June 1, 2021 – July 20, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | John L. Junkins (Interim) |
| Succeeded by | Mark A. Welsh III |
| Dean of the College of Engineering | |
| In office January 10, 2012 – June 1, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | N. K. Anand (Interim) |
| Succeeded by | John E. Hurtado (Interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Margaret Katherine Banks January 1960 (age 65) Whitesburg, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Spouse | Paul Schwab |
| Children | 6 |
| Education | University of Florida (BS) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (MS) Duke University (PhD) |
| Academic background | |
| Thesis | Fate of deposited cells in an aerobic binary bacterial biofilm (1989) |
| Doctoral advisor | James D. Bryers |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Environmental engineering |
| Sub-discipline | Bioremediation |
| Institutions | |
Margaret Katherine "Kathy" Banks is an American academic and civil engineer. She was the 26th president of Texas A&M University from 2021 to 2023, where she was the second woman to hold that position out of 41 total presidents at the time, including her interim successor.
Banks is an elected fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2014, and was formerly the dean of the College of Engineering, and the Jack and Kay Hockema Professor at Purdue University. Her research interests include applied microbial systems, biofilm processes, wastewater treatment and reuse, and phytoremediation bioremediation.