U.S. Rep. Sharp to Join K-School

After serving nearly 20 years in Congress, Rep. Phil Sharp (D-Ind.) will begin teaching at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in February.

Sharp, who did not seek office again in last week's elections, will be a lecturer on public policy, according to Steven Singer, director of communications for the Kennedy School.

"He'll be teaching on elective politics and energy and environmental policy, which are issues he's been active on in Congress," Singer said.

Kennedy School Academic Dean Alan Altshuler praised Sharp's analytical skills in a telephone interview yesterday.

"For somebody who has spent 10 terms in Congress, he is unusual because he has gained a national reputation as someone who is extremely analytic in his approach to public policy," Altshuler said.

Sharp currently chairs the House Energy and Power Subcommittee, a position he has held for more than a decade, said a spokesperson in Sharp's Washington office yesterday.

He was the principal House sponsor of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and a key player in the House's passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act. Since his election to the House in 1974, he has served as the House Democratic Whip at Large and as a member of the Democratic Leadership Council.

Although many Washington Democrats will be out of jobs once the new, Republican-dominated Congress convenes in January, Altshuler said the Kennedy School has no offers outstanding to any other members of Congress.

Sharp is no stranger to universities. Before serving in the House, Sharp taught political science and government at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., for five years. He holds a doctorate in government from Georgetown University.

Sarah E. Scrogin contributed to the reporting of this story.