Michal Lyons was born on July 4, 1947, in Buffalo, New York. While attending the University of California (UC) Santa Barbara as a freshman in 1969, Lyons developed a passion for political science, going on to earn his undergraduate and Ph.D. in political science at the UC. In 1979, Dr. Lyons joined USU as an assistant professor in Political science. While at USU, Lyons taught a variety of political science courses, including many of the program's foundation courses. Dr. Lyons, known for his creative and influential teaching style, developed the United States legislative simulation course (POLS 3130). Dr. Lyons was also the director of the USU Washington, D.C. internship program from 1980 to 1989, the NREPP certificate program director from 2002 to 2006, and the interim political science department head from 2011 to 2012. In addition to his roles at USU, Dr. Lyons also taught at the UC from 1973 to 1977 and was a visiting assistant professor at the University of Montana from 1990 to 1991.

Dr. Lyons passed away on March 31, 2026, due to health complications.