Jay Banner, Ph.D.
2024 Cherry Award Finalist

Jay Banner is the F. M. Bullard Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences in the Jackson School of Geosciences, and director of the Environmental Science Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests center on climate and hydrologic processes, how they are preserved in the geologic record, including in caves, and how human activities affect the sustainability of water resources.
Banner’s teaching interests are in sustainability, environmental science, geochemistry, and environmental justice. His K-12 and community engagement initiatives include Hot Science – Cool Talks, the Scientist in Residence program, which partners STEM graduate-student researchers with K-12 teachers, and a new project (CRESSLE) that partners researchers and community members to address resilience challenges in underserved communities.
Jay is a member of UT Austin’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers, a recipient of the Friar Centennial Teaching Fellowship Award and the UT System Regents Outstanding Teaching Award, and a Fellow of the Geological Society of America.
