“The COVID-19 Coronavirus: Understanding the Science and Responding Appropriately” will be the subject of a free, public panel discussion scheduled from 4:30-6 p.m., Wednesday, March 4, in Mitchell Hall at the University of Delaware.

UD Provost Robin Morgan will introduce the two-part program, which will be moderated by Lydia Timmins, assistant professor of communication at UD.

The first panel will focus on what a coronavirus is, how it emerges and the prospects for developing a vaccine suitable for use in humans. Speaking will be Calvin Keeler, professor of animal and food sciences, and Lawrence Duggan, professor of history.

Health preparedness will be discussed in the second panel. Discussion topics will include what can be done to minimize the risk of spreading infections with corona virus, what UD is doing to prepare for the possibilities of an infection on campus, and how Newark and the state of Delaware are preparing for infections of coronaviruses. Speaking will be Stephen Eppes, infection disease physician at Christiana Care; Timothy Bowers, director of infection prevention at Christiana Care; Jennifer Horney, professor of the Epidemiology Proegram at UD; Timothy Dowling, director of UD Student Health Serivces; and Karyl Rattay, director of the Delaware Division of Public Health.

Each panel discussion will be followed by 20 minutes of questions from the audience.

Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the College of Arts and Sciences, the March 4 program will be livestreamed on UD Live.

For the latest UD updates on COVID-19, visit the special UD webpage at https://www.udel.edu/coronavirus.