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Roger Sparks is a Professor of Economics at Mills College, Oakland, CA. He earned his PhD in Economics from the University of California, Davis and has been at Mills College since 1989. Professor Sparks is currently director of the Master of Applied Economics program at Mills and chair of the Economics Department. He has more than 20 research papers published in economics journals, has refereed many paper submissions to professional journals, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation. Professor Sparks’ research applies game theory and the economics of information to a variety of topics, including the theory of unemployment, efficiency wages, employee stock offerings, cyclical changes in labor productivity, the determination of mortgage rates, mortgage securitization, environmental policy, utility regulation, psychiatric decision-making, the energy paradox, and the price impacts of low-carbon fuel standards. This research agenda has allowed him to incorporate into his teaching first-hand knowledge about a variety of topics and techniques of analysis, which in turn has enhanced his students’ curiosity and learning.