After 15 years, Clive Seligman is stepping down as president of SAFS. The SAFS Board of Directors has unanimously voted to appoint current board member, Mark Mercer, as the fourth president of SAFS, beginning in May, 2015.

Mark Mercer received his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Toronto in 1991, and held postdoctoral fellowships at Berkeley and Simon Fraser. He began teaching at Saint Mary's University, in Halifax, in September 1999. He was made Chair of the philosophy department in 2010 and promoted to Full Professor in 2013. Dr. Mercer works mainly in philosophy of mind and ethics. As well, he has a passion for teaching ancient Greek philosophy.

Dr. Mercer began contributing opinion pieces to newspapers on issues of academic freedom and university life in 2006, just before he joined SAFS. He has served on the SAFS Board of Directors since 2009.