Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/57707
Technology Talking Tech on TV Business schools have experimented with a variety of media, from podcasts to the printed page, to reach the public. The Uni- versity of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business in College Park is experi- menting with yet another medium—a public television documentary. Hank Lucas, professor of information sys- tems, spent months working with Maryland Public Televi- sion to develop the 56-minute documentary, "The Transfor- mation Age," which began air- ing on national public televi- sion stations on April 18. Focusing on the acceleration of technological change, the docu- mentary is designed to help people explore the impact of technology on how they live and work. "The documentary's message is about surviving and flourishing in this new age," says Lucas. "People need to understand how to take advantage of technology and make decisions with current trends in mind—for instance, they probably don't want to advise their children to open a video store." The documentary includes inter- views with 25 executives, editors, and others touched by technologi- cal change. Carly Fiorina, former CEO of HP, and David Berlind, executive editor of ZDNet and CNET, are among those who offer commentary. Jim Buckmaster, the CEO of the online classified ad site Craigslist, discusses how that site has changed the way people exchange goods, while Russell Wilcox, CEO of electronic paper company E-Ink, explores how e-paper technology 60 BizEd MAY/JUNE 2008 Hank Lucas, professor of information systems at the Smith School, stands at right, as Maryland Public Television producer Frank Batavick checks the camera angle for the documentary "The Transformation Age," a project of the Smith School and Maryland Public Television. promises to change how people read books and newspapers. The documentary also explores how college students are using social networking sites such as Face- book, how new medical records systems are improving healthcare at the Mayo Clinic, and how an online inventory tracking system has changed operations at truck stops and convenience stores. By gathering all of this informa- tion together in this documentary, Lucas wants to convince people that they are in the middle of a revolu- tion. "Everyone's a participant in this revolution," he says, "whether they want to be or not." For information about the docu- mentary and its scheduled airings, go online to transformationage.org. SPECIAL SECTION: SOCIAL NETWORKING Reaching Students Where They Live "Social networking" has become a wide- spread catchphrase for businesses and business schools these days, as both try to tap into the buzz build- ing on social networking sites. In fact, business schools like the South- ern Illinois University College of Business in Carbondale see sites such as Facebook as crucial tools for their future communication and market- ing strategies. Last fall, SIU created the "SIU College of Business Group" on Facebook. It first created the group for its students; then, it invited its alumni to join. At 400 members and growing, the group allows its members to receive school news and communicate easily with students, faculty, alumni, and others in the school community. David Campbell, assistant profes- JOE SZURSEZEWSKI