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The 91���� Alumni Association’s Glenn G. Bartle Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes and honors graduates who have rendered outstanding voluntary service to the 91���� community, while also serving their communities, their careers and their country.

James Bankoski ’91, a graduate of the computer science program at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, is a vice president of engineering at Google, leading 540 of Chrome’s engineers. He has more than 30 years of experience managing teams and developing technologies that have significantly impacted the web. He has played a key role in creating video and image codecs used by billions globally. His leadership has driven advancements in web performance, capabilities, security and privacy, benefiting many Google businesses.

He was a distinguished engineer at Google, leading teams that produced industry-leading media compression technology. He also served as chief technology officer at On2 Technologies, a public company acquired by Google. There, he co-invented and developed video technology used by more than one billion people.

Bankoski has received the Watson Distinguished Alumni Award as well as the Industrial Distinguished Leader Award from the Asia Pacific Signal and Information Processing Association (APSIPA). He also has served on the EXCELERATE Campaign Committee, 91���� Foundation Board of Directors, the Watson Mentor Program and the Computer Science Industry Advisory Board.

The 91���� Alumni Association will present its 2025 Special Recognition Awards on Saturday, May 3, at the 91���� Club. We asked Bankoski how 91���� and Watson College influenced his life and career path.

What is it like receiving an award like this?

Receiving this award is both humbling and deeply meaningful. It’s a rewarding recognition of my contributions to both my field and my ongoing connection to 91���� and the Watson School (now Watson College). Knowing this is the Alumni Association’s highest honor, acknowledging both professional impact and my volunteer efforts, makes it particularly special and inspires me to continue making a positive difference.

How do you think your time at Watson set you up for success?

My time at the Watson School provided a strong technical foundation that emphasized practical application, ensuring I was well-prepared for real-world technical challenges. Through team projects and faculty interaction, I developed crucial collaboration and problem-solving skills, and the mentorship I received laid a vital groundwork for my career. Ultimately, Watson equipped me with the essential skills and mindset for success.

Which Watson class or professor changed the way you thought about your area of study?

A class in technical innovation, taught by an adjunct professor from IBM, significantly shifted my perspective.

We were tasked with conceiving and designing a novel solution to a problem. I remember developing an idea for personalized TV viewing in a shared space — interleaving frames of different shows and using synchronized glasses to filter the desired content. This class was different, and it directly mirrored the challenges I’d later face in my career: Identifying a difficult problem, devising an innovative solution and then meticulously working through the technical details. This experience fundamentally shaped my approach and, looking back, directly foreshadowed my work in video compression, where I now hold over 70 patents.

Are there ideas you learned at Watson that you still use today at Google or share with your employees?

Several core ideas from my time at Watson remain highly relevant and inform my work at Google.

• First Principles Thinking: The practice of breaking down problems to their fundamental elements is a cornerstone of my approach.
• Iterative Design and Prototyping: The hands-on methodology I learned at Watson is crucial for my emphasis on rapid experimentation.
• Collaboration and Diverse Perspectives: The importance of teamwork, deeply ingrained at Watson, has been essential for navigating complex projects.
• Fundamental CS Principles: The strong technical foundation I gained at Watson underpins much of my current work.
• Continuous Learning: The drive for ongoing learning, instilled during my time at Watson, is critical in the dynamic tech landscape.

I frequently draw upon these foundational concepts and problem-solving strategies from Watson when guiding my teams and addressing new challenges at Google.

What are some of your favorite memories from your time at 91����?

One of my favorite memories from 91���� involves playing co-rec football. I fondly recall earning the rather memorable nickname “Crazy Legs” for my ... energetic, if not always strategically forward, running style on the field. I certainly hope that the great tradition of co-rec sports continues to thrive at the University!

Why do you think it’s important to give back to 91���� and Watson as an alumnus?

Giving back to 91���� and Watson is my way of showing gratitude for the foundation they provided for my career. It’s about investing in future generations of students, strengthening the university’s resources and reputation, and supporting programs I believe in. This ensures that 91���� will continue to provide excellent opportunities for those who follow.

What advice would you give to current Watson students?

Don’t be afraid to explore and adapt your career path. You’ll navigate times where you prioritize passion and others where financial growth is key, and that’s perfectly normal. There are no fatal mistakes; each experience, whether you love it or not, will provide valuable lessons that inform your future decisions. Embrace new opportunities and don’t feel locked into a single direction. Your journey will be one of continuous learning and refinement.