Spong (born November 5, 1952 in Warren, Ohio) is an American roboticist.
He is a Professor of Systems Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD).
He served as Dean of the Jonsson School and the Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair in Electrical Engineering from 2008-2017.
Before he joined UTD, he was the Donald Biggar Willett Professor of Engineering, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Research Professor of Coordinated Science Laboratory and Information Trust Institute, and Director of Center for Autonomous Engineering Systems and Robotics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Spong is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He has received numerous awards for his research and teaching, including
the 2018 Bode Lecture Prize from the IEEE Control Systems Society
the 2016 Nyquist Lecture Prize from the Dynamical Systems and Control Division of the ASME
the 2007 IROS Fumio Harashima Award for Innovative Technologies
the O.
Hugo Schuck Award in 2002 and 2009 from the American Automatic Control Council
the 2004 John R.
Ragazzini Award from the American Automatic Control Council
the IEEE Third Millennium Medal.Spong received his B.A.
in Mathematics and Physics from Hiram College in 1975, a M.S.
in Mathematics from New Mexico State University in 1977, and a M.S.
and D.Sc.
in Systems Science and Mathematics from Washington University in St.