Reginald DesRoches (born April 30, 1967) is an American civil engineer who has served as the president of Rice University since July 1, 2022.

[6] During his tenure as Karen and John Huff School Chair at Georgia Tech, DesRoches guided the development of a new minor in global engineering leadership[7] open to all Georgia Tech engineering undergraduates, doubled the number of named chairs/professors,[8] led a strategic interdisciplinary research initiative,[9] developed a Corporate Affiliates Program,[10] and led a comprehensive strategic planning process.

[11] He also oversaw a $13.5 million renovation of the Jesse W. Mason Building, which was the main facility of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

[15] His research interests include the design of resilient infrastructure systems under extreme loads and the application of smart and auto-adaptive materials.

[18] He has participated in numerous congressional briefings[19] to underscore the role university research plays in addressing the failing infrastructure in the U.S.and enhancing its resilience to natural hazards.

DesRoches has testified[24] before U.S. House and Senate subcommittees on the science of earthquake resilience, and has participated in Washington, D.C. roundtables for media and congressional staffers on topics ranging from disaster preparedness to challenges for African-American men in STEM fields.