David Swords

Michael D. Swords is a retired professor of natural science at Western Michigan University, specializing in human biology, history and philosophy of science, scientific methodology, and anomalies like UFOs. An American ufologist, he served on the CUFOS Board of Directors, edited its academic journal, and was a consultant for MUFON and APRO. Key achievements include authoring Grass Roots UFOs (2005) on John Timmerman's files and co-authoring UFOs and Government: A Historical Inquiry (2012), a comprehensive analysis of global government responses to UFOs using declassified documents, with Swords leading U.S. chapters. He hosted The Big Study blog, amassed rare UFO archives including Edward Ruppelt's files, and published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration. Winner of a 1978 Teaching Excellence Award, he resides in Kalamazoo, Michigan.