Alan H. McGowan is the president of the Gene Media Forum, which assists journalists in covering the ethical, medical, agricultural, economic, and public policy questions that arise from discoveries in genetic research. He is executive editor of Environment and has written widely on science, science policy, and public understanding of science. Prior to founding the Forum in 1999, McGowan was director of Public Understanding of Science for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. From 1974 until 1994 he was the president of Scientists Institute for Public Information where he created the Media Resource Service, a referral service for journalists working on science and technology stories. Formerly a high school science teacher, McGowan was a pioneer in environmental education.