M.A., Philosophy, Carleton University, 1999
Ph.D., Applied Ecology, International Institute of Biological Control
(IIBC), Switzerland, 1991
Diploma, Biology (M.Sc. equivalent), University of Basel, Switzerland,
1986
Employment
Director, Institute of Science, Society, and Policy, University of Ottawa
Executive Vice-President & Director of Assessments, Council of Canadian Academies (2006-)
Director, Institute On Governance (2003-2006)
Senior Advisor, Institute On Governance (2002-2003)
Managing Director, Ethics and Policy Issues Centre, Carleton University
and President, Consultancy on S&T Ethics (1999-2002)
Instructor in Environmental Ethics, Carleton University (1999-2002)
Teaching Assistant, Department of Philosophy, Carleton University
(1997-1998)
Risk Assessor, Environmental Evaluation Division, Pest Management
Regulatory Agency, Health Canada (1995-1996)
Consultant, Pesticides Division, Commercial Chemicals Evaluation
Branch, Environment Canada (1992-1995)
Project Manager, International Institute of Biological Control (IIBC),
Switzerland (1987-1990)
Other Positions and Functions
Adjunct Research Professor, Department of
Philosophy, Carleton University (2002-present)
Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Biology, Carleton University
(2002-present)
Participating Faculty, Canadian Program on Genomics and Global Health
(Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto)
Fellow, International Institute for Public Ethics (2001-present)
Member, Board of Directors, Ethics Practitioners’ Association
of Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the EPAC Magazine (2000-2003)
Experience Summary
Marc Saner joined the Council of Canadian Academies as the Executive Vice-President and Director of Assessments in 2006. He has 15 years of experience carrying out assessments and analytical work in the natural sciences and humanities. For the last decade, his primary interest has been the intersection of governance, ethics and science.
After receiving his Ph.D. in applied ecology (University of Basel, Switzerland, 1991), Marc Saner assessed the environmental risk of biological and chemical pesticides for both Environment Canada and Health Canada. He subsequently obtained an M.A. in philosophy with a specialization in the environmental ethics of biotechnology (Carleton University, 1999). Marc headed a consultancy specializing in the analytical and practical aspects of risk management and other issues at the interface of science and policy such as the precautionary principle and the integration of science, workplace and policy ethics. During this period, he also taught environmental ethics at Carleton University and managed its Ethics and Policy Issues Centre.
Prior to joining to the Council of Canadian Academies, he built the Ethics Sector at the Institute On Governance (an Ottawa-based think tank) and served as both Director of Ethics and Risk Management and Manager of the Technology and Governance Program.
He has published a number of papers in peer-reviewed journals in the areas of ethics, bioethics, risk management, biotechnology and ecology. One of his ethics papers was anthologized in a book on food biotechnology and a science paper was included in a book on weed biology. Marc has been invited to speak and present papers at seminars, workshops and international conferences around the world, including the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
