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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Scientists from The Texas A&M University System are helping the state, the nation and the world better understand, prepare for and respond to the outbreak of COVID-19.
They fight fear with facts. They offer the calming context that comes from decades of study into pandemics and coronaviruses.
“It’s no wonder that so many authorities turn to us,” said John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M system. “The scientists here are uniquely qualified to help policymakers and ordinary people understand this outbreak.”
Federal officials in Washington D.C. and state leaders in Austin have sought out the pandemic experts at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, where the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs offers policy guidance on prevention and response.
Among the experts is Dr. Gerald Parker, who also serves as associate dean of Global One Health at the University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
Dr. Parker is a former deputy secretary for chemical and biological defense at the U.S. Defense Department and a former assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services.
“This is a brand new virus,” Dr. Parker said “There’s so much that we don’t know that it is just naturally alarming to us as human beings.
“But what we’re doing today is phenomenally much better today than it was 20 years ago,” Parker said. “The scientific enterprise across the globe is responding with unprecedented speed.”
Read the full release on the Texas A&M University system website.
