Written by Audra Fields
“’Be the kind of person your dog thinks you are’ ~Robert Prentice” I read as I cracked open my BHP-customized fortune cookie, a part of a playful initiative to encourage ethical behavior at McCombs. Not only is that advice humorous, but credible– If anyone should be fortune-telling over ethics, it is Dr. Robert Prentice, director of BHP, 37-year running professor of Business Law and Ethics, behavioral ethics expert, and dog enthusiast. This week, I sat down with him to find out more about his career, background, and joys in life.
What courses do you teach? I teach the BHP required LEB323H course (Business Law and Ethics) and the BHP Lyceum 151H. I have taught for 37 years at UT, and taught LEB every year.
But which class is your favorite? LEB323H because I get to do all the talking.
What do you enjoy the most about teaching BHP students? The kids are very smart and engaged. They take ownership of their education more than most students. It’s all relative, but in the great scheme of things, they take it more seriously. They’re all smarter than I am.
It’s rumored that you were once a farmer. Tell me more about your career path and how you got into teaching. I had three jobs before teaching at UT. The first was working my parents’ farm in Kansas, which I did until I was 17 and could pay my way through college and law school. The second was being a law clerk for Federal District Judge Richard Rogers in Kansas. I did that for five years and loved it! The third was teaching a public speaking course at night school. After that, I knew I wanted to teach.
Any crazy stories from that night school gig? Yes! Linda Brown, from Brown vs. Board of Education, was actually a student in my public speaking class. A girl whose dad started Westboro Baptist Church was also in the class. Even weirder, during my time as a clerk, I faced that guy who started the Westboro Baptist Church cult in court, as he was a lawyer.
Let’s learn some fun facts about you. Give me five!
- I have two great daughters, Indie and Kira. Kira is in a dance troupe at Harvard, but I am deathly afraid of dancing. Dancing in public is a nightmare scenario for me. I’m just terrible at it.
- My favorite animal is a dog, specifically a Border Collie.
- I’m big on baking, watching movies, and reading. If you have any book recommendations, let me know!
- I love watching college sports. The teams I root for are the Kansas Jayhawks for basketball and UT for football. I also love playing softball!
- Traveling is one of my biggest hobbies. My favorite travel destinations are Scotland, Switzerland, and New Zealand.
When and where are your office hours? Come find me in CBA 5.256 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11 am and Wednesdays from 8-9 am, but I’m here lots and lots of other times too.