“James A. Banks is Kerry and Linda Killinger Professor of Diversity Studies and Director of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is a past president of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). He was a Spencer Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford during the 2005–2006 academic year and is a current member of the National Academy of Education.

Professor Banks is a specialist in multicultural education and in social studies education and has written many articles, chapters, and books in these fields. His books include Teaching Strategies for Ethnic Studies, Cultural Diversity and Education: Foundations, Curriculum and Teaching, Diversity and Citizenship Education: Global Perspectives, and Race, Culture, and Education: The Selected Works of James A. Banks. Additionally, Professor Banks is the editor of the Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education (Jossey-Bass) and the "Multicultural Education Series" of books published by Teachers College Press, Columbia University.

In Fall 2007, Dr. Banks was designated the Tisch Distinguished Visiting Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. He holds honorary doctorates from five colleges and universities and The UCLA Medal from the University of California, Los Angeles, which is the University's highest honor. In 2005, Professor Banks delivered the 29th Annual Faculty Lecture at the University of Washington, the highest honor given to a professor at the University.”

Recent Works Banks, J. A. 2008. Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age. Educational Researcher 37(3): 129–139. Banks, J. A. 2009. The Routledge International Companion to Multicultural Education. London and New York: Routledge. Banks, J. A. 2007. An Introduction to Multicultural Education, 4th Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.