WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation has announced two new members of its Board of Trustees.
Timothy Sellnow, PhD, is a professor at the Nicholson School of Communication at the University of Central Florida.
His research focuses on bioterrorism, pre-crisis planning, and strategic communication for risk management and mitigation in organizational and health settings. Dr. Sellnow has conducted research for a variety of government agencies, including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and served in an advisory role for the National Academy of Sciences and the World Health Organization.
Anna Maria Siega-Riz, PhD, is a professor of Public Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
Her research focuses on the first 1,000 days of life by understanding the influence of maternal weight status, as well as dietary patterns and behaviors, in the causes of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Dr. Siega-Riz also served on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which reviewed the body of scientific and medical evidence in nutrition and prepared the Advisory Report for the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and USDA which informed the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The majority of the board, which oversees the IFIC Foundation, comprises representatives from universities, governmental bodies, research laboratories, and public foundations. The balance of the trustees represent for-profit companies.
“We’re very pleased to welcome Dr. Sellnow and Dr. Siega-Riz to the IFIC Foundation’s Board of Trustees,” said Robert Gravani, PhD, chairman of the IFIC Foundation.
“The expertise they bring to the board will complement that of our currently serving trustees and help us to continue to provide scientifically sound information to constituents.”
“The addition of Dr. Sellnow and Dr. Siega-Riz to the IFIC Foundation Board of Trustees will help us continue to adhere to sound science in communicating reliable and actionable messages to consumers,” said Joseph Clayton, CEO of the IFIC Foundation.
“With more and more Americans interested in the healthfulness, safety, and sustainability of the food they eat and the beverages they consume, our mission is more important than ever before.”
The IFIC Foundation also is advised by non-voting public liaisons. Currently they are: Jackie Haven, Deputy Director, USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion; William Hoffman, PhD, Chief of Staff, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture; Ed Kee, Delaware Secretary of Agriculture; and David M. Klurfeld, PhD, National Program Leader for Human Nutrition, USDA Agricultural Research Service.
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The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation is dedicated to the mission of effectively communicating science-based information on health, food safety and nutrition for the public good. The IFIC Foundation is supported primarily by the broad-based food, beverage and agricultural industries. Visit http://foodinsight.org.