About Me

Hello! My name is David Sprott.  I am the Boeing / Scott and Linda Carson Chair and Professor of Marketing at Washington State University. I am also the Senior Associate Dean for the WSU Carson College of Business. I’ll assume that you have arrived here in search of more information about me beyond my vita. Let me fill you in on a few details.

I grew up in Ravenna, Ohio (about an hour south of Cleveland). I suppose my interest in business started early in life, as I loved being in our family’s general store (Sprott & Sons Grocery) operated by my father and uncle. Sprott & Sons was the quintessential general store that offered groceries, fresh meats, furniture, dishware, and gas. The store closed in 1976, but what I learned about life (and business) in that store has impacted me since then.
After high school, I attended Kent State University and in 1991 graduated with a degree in Business. That year, I also married my wife Constance. As Constance worked to support us, I completed my MBA at Kent (in 1992) and began my Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. I completed my Ph.D. in marketing in 1997 under the mentorship of Terry Shimp (a true gentleman scholar).

I have been working at Washington State University since 1996. WSU is located in a small college town named Pullman (we have + residents including nearly 20,000 students). Pullman and WSU are located in the heart of the Palouse (a region in Eastern Washington characterized by agriculture and rolling hills). Pullman is a wonderful place to raise a family, including our three girls, Chapin, Arden, and Piper.