Baylor Business Professor To Be Featured On ABC News
Dr. Blaine McCormick, assistant professor of management at Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business and author of Ben Franklin's 12 Rules of Management, will be featured on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings on Sept. 24 in a segment on America's founding fathers.
McCormick's keen interest and expert knowledge of Benjamin Franklin's influence on American business caught the interest of the famous television anchor. So much so, in fact, that he is featured in a new book, In Search of America, by Jennings and Todd Brewster.
An ABC News crew was in McCormick's "Negotiating and Conflict Resolution" class earlier this month to capture the charismatic professor in action.
"There are a few students here that aren't even normally in the class at this time," said McCormick. "They wanted to be here to be part of this. They've been looking forward to it."
"I switched from the 8 o'clock class to be part of the taping," said Khanh Le, a senior from West Palm Beach, Fla. "How many opportunities do you have to be on national television so that your parents see that you actually go to class!"
On a more serious note, Le reflected, "I think we as a class served as an American example - students from all over, sitting together and learning from an all-American professor who uses a figure from the American past to improve our American future."
Kari Martin, a senior in McCormick's class, admitted that she was a little nervous about taking a quiz with the television crew in the room. "I got 100 on the quiz," she said, "and then I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the period."
"I like to participate in Dr. McCormick's classes," she added. "The way he teaches is in a very personal style. You get a lot of role play experience that is directly applicable to real life.
"Using Benjamin Franklin - or 'Dr. Franklin,' as Dr. McCormick refers to him - is a unique concept, but it makes perfect sense when you learn more about it" said Martin. "Franklin was a great influence in using motivation and reward for positive results in negotiations."
Chip Hodges, another student in the class, agreed.
"Ben Franklin was a great businessman and his quote, 'Love your enemy because they show you your faults' is a great learning tool in negotiation," he explained.
Geoff Price, also a student, stated, "I think people will be interested in McCormick's teaching style and his ideas. He has an incredible way of relating negotiation to a variety of topics.
"My future goal in life is to be a college professor and he's been the best example yet of the kind of professor I want to be," said Price. "I honestly look forward to that class. I think he presents the material effectively and I believe his lectures are relevant not only to the world of business, but to everyday life."