Leonard L. (“Leo”) Grigsby received his BS and MS in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas and his PhD from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. He has taught electrical engineering at Texas Tech University, Oklahoma State University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University. He has been at Auburn University since 1984, first as the Georgia power distinguished professor, later as the Alabama power distinguished professor, and currently as professor emeritus of electrical engineering. He also spent nine months during 1990 at the University of Tokyo as the Tokyo Electric Power Company endowed chair of electrical engineering. His teaching interests are in network analysis, control systems, and power engineering.
During his teaching career, Professor Grigsby received 13 awards for teaching excellence. These include his selection for the university-wide William E. Wine Award for Teaching Excellence at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University in 1980, the ASEE AT&T Award for Teaching Excellence in 1986, the 1988 Edison Electric Institute Power Engineering Educator Award, the 1990–1991 Distinguished Graduate Lectureship at Auburn University, the 1995 IEEE Region 3 Joseph M. Beidenbach Outstanding Engineering Educator Award, the 1996 Birdsong Superior Teaching Award at Auburn University, and the IEEE Power Engineering Society Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award in 2003.
Professor Grigsby is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). During 1998–1999, he was a member of the board of directors of IEEE as the director of Division VII for power and energy. He has served the institute in 30 different offices at the chapter, section, regional, and international levels. For this service, he has received seven distinguished service awards, such as the IEEE Centennial Medal in 1984, the Power Engineering Society Meritorious Service Award in 1994, and the IEEE Millennium Medal in 2000.
During his academic career, Professor Grigsby has conducted research in a variety of projects related to the application of network and control theory to modeling, simulation, optimization, and control of electric power systems. He has been the major advisor for 35 MS and 21 PhD graduates. With his students and colleagues, he has published over 120 technical papers and a textbook on introductory network theory. He is currently the series editor for the Electrical Engineering Handbook Series published by CRC Press. In 1993, he was inducted into the Electrical Engineering Academy at Texas Tech University for distinguished contributions to electrical engineering.