Click here to download a copy of the invitation.

The Summer 2007 Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship program of the National Academies, is pleased to invite you to their feature seminar titled “Banning Trans Fats: Should Uncle Sam Run the Kitchen?” The seminar will be held on Wednesday, July 18th, 2007, from 12:30 – 2:00pm at the National Academies Keck Center, in Room 100. The building is located at 500 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

The debate will feature two distinguished speakers:
Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D.
Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)

Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Founder and President of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH)

This public seminar will be structured as a debate and will address government bans of trans fats. The following questions will drive the discussion:

1) What makes trans fats different from other dietary substances such as saturated fats?
2) What are the positive and negative health consequences of banning trans fats?
3) Should the government ban trans fats?

There will be a 15 minute presentation by both invited speakers who will each present opposing view points on the issue. A moderated question and answer session will follow.

Please feel free to forward this invitation to any colleagues who may be interested in the seminar. For more information, please email Jamie Skipper at jskipper@nas.edu or Anne Murdaugh at AMurdaugh@nas.edu.

(Please note that the comments made at this seminar represent the positions of the speakers only and not the opinions of the National Academies or any of its committees or reports. No report or summary will be produced from this seminar.**)

The Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship program, now in its 11th year, is designed to educate and engage graduate students in the analysis of science and technology policy and to familiarize them with the interactions of science, technology, and government. You may find more detailed information about the program at http://www.national-academies.org/policyfellows.

For further details and program updates, please visit www.national-academies.org/policyfellows/events.

Whelan with Jacobson, and both with National Academies Fellows: