MEET THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
KATHERINE
BANKS
"To our students: Don't be discouraged by first year classes. Be persistent, and never give up on your studies. You are the next generation of technology pioneers."
Katherine Banks,
vice chancellor and
dean for the College of Engineering
Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean for the College of Engineering, leads one of the largest engineering schools in the country, with more than 18,000 students, and strives to continue the college’s growth and improve its academic standing among engineering colleges across the nation.
In her role as dean, Banks created the 25 by 25 program, a growth initiative for the College of Engineering to increase access for qualified students to pursue engineering education to a total enrollment of 25,000 students in the engineering program by 2025. Banks said this growth will be balanced across College Station, branch campuses and the Engineering Academies.
“It’s about growth across the board,” Banks said. “Even though the program increases the size of the college, the quality of our programs will continue to improve. We want to increase our online masters program to 1,000 students. We want to increase our retention rates and support student success throughout the engineering program.”
As part of the plan for growing the College of Engineering, Banks focuses on improving the quality of students admitted to and graduating from the program. Through placement exams and math preparation for incoming students and proficiency exams to ensure students retain knowledge from their classes, Banks continually pushes the quality of the College of Engineering upward.
“I’m passionate about providing access to the
college and enhancing quality,” Banks said. “We want to ensure the high quality of first-year programs, and help students succeed when transitioning into the College of Engineering.”
Having moved to Texas to fill the position of dean at Texas A&M, Banks said her desire to move came from her deep respect for the Aggie core values and the way Aggies treat one another. These traits have carried into her philosophy for her work and her interactions with others.
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“I was so impressed with the Aggie core values and how the culture here isn’t about ‘me, me, me,’ but about working together as a community and serving others,” Banks said. “I hope to create a vision that works for everyone: taking input from those around me and making sure that while I focus on my goals, everyone is still on board.
As someone who grew up in an area filled with poverty, where many people were uneducated, Banks holds a special place in her heart for college students from similar backgrounds.
Banks loves to encourage students in their
studies, and engaging with students remains
her favorite part of being a professor.
“It was a difficult choice to take a step back from teaching to serve as dean, because I enjoy being involved in students’ lives and their career choices,” Banks said. “But as dean, I make
decisions that help students on a larger scale. I do gravitate toward students who may not be entirely prepared for A&M’s rigor or didn’t come from the best schools. I am so proud to shake their hand as they walk across the graduation stage.”
For incoming engineering students and their parents, Banks encourages them to allow a transition time in their studies and grades. She hopes parents will be patient and provide their children the space they need to succeed, allowing them to fail sometimes, supporting them to mature and value personal success when they succeed.
“To our students: Don’t be discouraged by first year classes,” Banks said. “Be persistent, and never give up on your studies. You are the next generation of technology pioneers.”