By STEPHANIE YAN

Over 300 people are expected to come to Cornell for the fourth ever Ivy League Vegan Conference the only Ivy League conference dedicated to discussion of plant-based diets, bioethics, policy and academics according to Cornell Vegan Society Co-Vice President Sarina Pacifici 16.

The Cornell Vegan Society has been planning the conference, which will include a career fair and a lunch, among other events, for almost a year, according to President Sarah Terwilliger 17. This will be Cornells first time hosting the conference.

During [the career fair], students can learn about summer internships offered by various companies and organizations committed to promoting plant-based diets, lifestyles and careers, Terwilliger said.

Pacifici said she hopes that the conferences Ithaca location will encourage more people to attend, citing a ranking from VegNews Magazine which rated Ithaca the fifth most vegan-friendly city in the United States in 2013.

We are thrilled to be able to host the conference at Cornell for the first time, as it is an environment in which speakers, who are coming from all over the United States, can feel like their ideologies are welcomed and understood, Pacifici said.

Several speakers, including many Cornell professors, will give presentations, according to a press release from the conferences national planning committee. In addition, the conference will feature discussion periods for the attendees and a networking event for students, according to the press release.

Terwilliger said she is looking forward to learning more about the relationship between veganism and health at the conference.

I am very intrigued by the science behind how plant-based diets affect our bodies, she said. So Im definitely looking forward to Dr. Gary Wus 92 presentation on his research dedicated to how our dietary choices affect the gut microbiome.

The conference is free for Cornell students and open to anyone outside the Cornell community, according to the press release. Pacifici said she believes the conferences accessibility will lead to interesting discussions and a wide array of opinions.

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Cornell to Host Ivy League Vegan Conference