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 (pictured), 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 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.