Gerald Parker
Dr. Parker is the Associate Dean for Global One Health at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Director, Pandemic Preparedness and Biosecurity Policy Progam at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs within the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.
Parker is a member of several advisory boards, including the Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response, Texas Experts COVID Vaccine Advisory Panel, and ex officio member for the Bipartisan Commission for Biodefense. Dr. Parker also temporarily returned to government service as a senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services from August 2020 to February 2021 during the COVID-19 response.
Prior to his appointment to Texas A&M University, Dr. Parker held technical to executive leadership positions throughout 36 years of public service at the federal level as a recognized defense and civilian interagency leader in biodefense, high consequence emerging infectious diseases, global health security, and all-hazards public heath/medical preparedness and response. This included coordinating the federal public heatlh and medical responses to Hurricanes Katrina through Alex, to the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic and Haiti Earthquake. Dr. Parker’s service includes more than 26 years on active duty leading military medical research and development programs and organizations. He is a former Commander and Deputy Commander, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. After his military career, Dr. Parker held senior executive level positions at the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Defense (DOD). This includes serving as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense at DOD.
Dr. Parker is a 2009 recipient of the Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service in 2013, and the Senator Melcher Leadership in Public Policy Award from the Association of American Veterinary Colleges in 2019. Dr. Parker is a graduate of Texas A&M Unviersity’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.