Michael Flower is a developmental and molecular biologist whose interests turned from the laboratory study of embryos and genes to the ways in which these scientific objects of inquiry have come to be the objects of political battle, economic interest, legal wrangling, and moral dispute. After completion of a National Institutes of Health-supported study of embryonic limb development years ago, Michael spent a year studying political and moral philosophy at The Hasting Center, followed by three years at the Salk Institute and four years in the Science, Technology and Public Affairs program at UC San Diego where he joined Clifford Grobstein in carrying out one of the first studies of the public policy consequences of the then-emerging techniques of in vitro fertilization and genetic engineering. Michael has spent more than twenty years bringing the complex politicoscientific imbroglios that are produced by such research into discussions of science education reform.

Michael has been a part of University Studies since its inception and now serves as the coordinator of those faculty who direct the Sophomore Inquiries and Clusters that make up the middle portion of the general education curriculum. He has taught Sophomore Inquiry and also offers two cluster courses, Biopolitics and Science: Power-Knowledge. Most recently he conceived a pilot project with several Freshman Inquiry faculty, the aim of which is to develop a number of interdisciplinary approaches to science literacy in Freshman Inquiry.

Michael Flower
Associate Professor
office: 105 UHP
phone: (503) 725-5362
fax: (503) 725-5363
email: flowerm@pdx.edu