M. Katherine Banks is an American engineer and the 26th president of Texas A&M University as of June 1, 2021, having been nominated for the position on March 3, 2021, and confirmed by the Board of Regents on March 31, 2021. She is an Elected Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, was elected in 2014 to the National Academy of Engineering, and was formerly 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. She received her Ph.D. in 1989 from Duke University.