Michael's teaching and research areas include local and regional economic development, regional growth dynamics, program evaluation methodologies, and affordable housing policy. Oden has been recognized for his excellence in teaching, winning the Texas Excellence Teaching Award in 1998 and the Outstanding Teacher Award for the School of Architecture in 2001 and 2015. Oden's current research interests include urban economic development dynamics and policies, evaluation methods for economic development and environmental projects, and urban planning interventions to address climate change. Over the last decade, Oden has published a number of reports and articles on economic development, income inequality, and program evaluation.