The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has named Dr. Gerald W. Parker, Jr. of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University as the recipient of the 2019 Senator John Melcher, DVM Leadership in Public Policy Award.
Established in 2007, the award is given to current or former faculty, staff, or students of an AAVMC member institution to recognize leadership in public policy that advances veterinary education and successful promotion of veterinary education at the national or international level.
“The AAVMC is proud to recognize outstanding educators and researchers like Dr. Palmer who advance academic veterinary medicine and inspire others through their commitment to professional excellence and service,” said AAVMC Executive Director Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe. “We look forward to publicly honoring him for his accomplishments during our 2019 Annual Conference.”
Parker is campus director for Global One Health at Texas A&M and associate dean for Global One Health at the School of Veterinary Medicine. He is also director of the Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program at the Scowcroft Institute for International Affairs at the Bush School of Government Service.
He has had a long and distinguished career in veterinary medicine, the U.S. military, and the U.S. government. He has become a key resource and highly respected expert in Washington, DC, on biodefense, solemn emerging infectious diseases, global health security, and all-risk public health and medical preparedness. He is the former Commander and Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and has held senior positions at the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Defense (DOD), including serving as Principal Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS and Assistant Secretary for Chemical and Biological Defense at DOD.
In addition to his work at Texas A&M, Parker serves on several advisory boards, including the National Institutes of Health Director's National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity and the Governor's Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. He is also an ex officio member of the Biodefense Blue Ribbon Study Panel.
He received the Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award in 2009 and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service in 2013.
Parker earned his BS and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Texas A&M University, an MS from the Industrial College of Armed Forces, and a PhD from Baylor College of Medicine.
The official presentation will take place during the 2019 AAVMC Annual Conference and Iverson Bell Symposium, March 8-10, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Park. He is expected to address conference attendees.
The AAVMC is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and improve the health and welfare of animals, people, and the environment worldwide through the advancement of academic veterinary medicine. Its members include 49 accredited veterinary colleges in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean Basin, Europe, Australia, Up-to-date Zealand, and Mexico.
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