Katherine Banks, Ph.D., will step into her role as the 26th President of Texas A&M beginning June 1. Banks will be the second woman to serve as president of the university. Soon-to-be university President Banks spoke with The Battalion news reporter Aubrey Vogel; read their Q&A below. THE BATTALION: How did you get to Texas A&M, and what has your role looked like up until this point? KB: I arrived at Texas A&M in January of 2012. I was [formerly the] department head at Purdue University in the department of civil engineering. I moved to Purdue from Kansas State University in 1997 where I was a professor for seven years. I joined Kansas State University after I received my Ph.D. from Duke University in 1989. The position for which I was hired when I arrived here in January of 2012 was Dean of the College of Engineering, Director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and Vice-Chancellor of Engineering, which included oversight of the three engineering agencies. My office also connects with the other [A&M] System institutions and their engineering programs. For example, when there is a new engineering academic program at other System institutions, we help them ensure that the appropriate credentialing is achieved.