Susan P. Wright was a faculty member of the Residential College, where she directed the Science, Technology, and Society Program from 1979 to 1997. Additionally, she was a research scientist at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender. These papers primarily document the debate over recombinant DNA at the University of Michigan in the 1970s and early 1980s.
The Susan Wright Papers document the recombinant DNA debate at the University of Michigan during the 1970s and early 1980s through material collected by Dr. Wright. In the early 1970s, scientists discovered a method to combine DNA from different organisms, creating DNA sequences not found in nature. This led to concern that, among other things, the organisms possessing this recombined DNA could escape from laboratories and cause pandemics. A debate over how much this new technology should be regulated by the government ensued. Wright was involved in this debate through her position as chair of the Residential College's Science, Technology, and Society Program. The papers are arranged into four series: Ann Arbor Newspaper Coverage, Correspondence, Minutes, and Articles, Governor's Task Force, and Topical.