Profile

On the staff of Purdue since 1978, Dr. Sparrow's teaching responsibilities include graduate courses in economic engineering analysis, and mathematical programming. From 1981 to 1998 he served as the director of the Schools of Engineering's Institute for Interdisciplinary Engineering Studies (IIES), which houses several centers, laboratories, and programs focused on particular problem areas such as renewable resources engineering and transportation.

Since 1985 he has served as director of the State Utility Forecasting Group, a program within IIES.

Prior to his association with Purdue, Dr. Sparrow taught for 10 years at The Johns Hopkins University, as well as serving as chairperson of the Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Houston. He also worked for two years for the Atomic Energy Commission as an Operations Analyst, and for three years for the National Science Foundation, where his last appointment was Deputy Director for Planning and Evaluation for NSF's Research Applied to National Needs Directorate.

Dr. Sparrow's primary concerns are interdisciplinary, with an emphasis on energy modeling and analysis, electrotechnology commercialization, industrial electrification, and transportation. He is the author or co-author of more than 90 papers, presentations, and reports on these topics, as well as on matters relating to economics, operations research, and industrial engineering. His honors include selection as a Ford Foundation Research Professor and invitations to speak before various organizations in the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Japan. Dr. Sparrow is consultant to various government agencies, electric utilities, and to the iron and steel industry.

• Director, State Utility Forecasting Group (SUFG), Purdue University
• Professor of Industrial Engineering, School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University
• Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University

• 1953, BS, Geology University of Michigan
• 1956, MBA, Managerial Economics Cornell University
• 1962, PhD, Economics and Operations Research University of Michigan