Michelle Beer (1941-2026)
Michelle Beer, professor of philosophy at Florida International University, has died.
Professor Beer taught at FIU from 1982 until her retirement in December 2025. A specialist in metaphysics and the philosophy of science, she was well-known for her article “Temporal Indexicals and the Passage of Time,” first published in The Philosophical Quarterly in 1988 and later reprinted in The New Theory of Time, edited by L. Nathan Oaklander and Quentin Smith. You can learn about her other writings here.
Before receiving her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh, she was an undergraduate in Physics at Brown and a master’s student in Physics at Yeshiva University, where she studied with Peter Bergmann, who himself was a student of Einstein. An ardent defender of the B-theory, her interest in the philosophy of time was informed by her background in physics.
At FIU, she taught a wide variety of courses, principally in her areas of specialization, but also in feminist philosophy. A vegetarian from an early age, she championed animal welfare throughout her life.
(This memorial notice was written by Céline Leboeuf.)
Thank you for posting this notice. We will miss Professor Beer deeply at FIU.
I feel very fortunate to have known Michelle. Smart, compassionate – she told wonderful stories and lived quite a full and interesting life. Beloved by her students, her cats, and so many others, she will be greatly missed. May her memory be a blessing.
I was speaking with a female colleague at my workplace about Feminism just yesterday (I work at a Public Defender’s Office as an attorney in Vermont). I was talking to this colleague about taking a Feminism class during my undergrad at FIU. And out of thin air I remembered her name, Dr. Michelle Beer. So I looked her up and found this sad news. I took 2 or 3 classes with her between 1995 and 1997. It has been thirty years so it is hard to remember. But definitely Feminism and Philosophy of Time. She was a great professor and as you can see I still remember her 30 years after taking her classes. She will be missed. She used to sometimes hang out at the student center (now the Chili’s) and drink a beer after class with us students. Where we would continue our philosophy discussions in earnest. I tip a glass to you Dr. Beer for keeping philosophy alive and well in your life, cheers.