Texas A&M names sole finalist for president
Texas A&M University's board of regents has named its vice chancellor of engineering, Kathy Banks, as the sole finalist for president of the university.
Banks, who has worked at the university for a decade, called her selection a “tremendous honor.”
“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, who is also the dean of A&M'S College of Engineering, said in a written statement.
“I hope to build upon that framework in our pursuit of preeminence, without losing what makes Texas A&M so special. Texas A&M is one of a kind and there's nowhere else I'd rather be,” she added.
The A&M System board approved Banks as the sole finalist this week after Chancellor John Sharp recommended the engineer. Now, under state law, the regents must wait at least 21 days before making an official appointment.
“Where is there a dean in the U.S. who has accomplished what Dean Banks has accomplished?” Sharp said. “If she can do for the university what she did for engineering, imagine what the university can achieve.”
Banks, an engineer by trade, has served A&M in multiple ways over the years, according to a university release.
Banks, who is also a professor, was hired as vice chancellor and dean of engineering in 2011, when enrollment at the school was at 11,113 students, with about 425 faculty members. Since then, enrollment has nearly doubled. Under Banks, engineering research spending exceeded $300 million for the first time in 2020.
University officials also have credited Banks with aiding the development of the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex on the RELLIS Campus in Bryan and making the A&M System a hub for hypersonic research.
If appointed, Banks will continue serving as A&M'S vice chancellor of National Laboratories and National Security Strategic Initiatives.