By: Jon Sham

Freeman Hrabowski’s innovative approach to education is what brought him in to The Daily Record for a Newsmakers interview in April.

But the University of Maryland, Baltimore County president grabbed a bit of a bigger spotlight Sunday evening, as he was interviewed by Byron Pitts on “60 Minutes.”

Pitts opened with a question that The Daily Record did not ask, but one that many may wonder: “How does a black man get a name ‘Hrabowski’?”

(Short answer: His grandfather’s grandfather was a Polish slavemaster in rural Alabama.)

The question wasn’t even finished by the time it was met with Hrabowski’s affable, hearty laugh.

Hrabowski and some UMBC students interviewed on the program affirmed his “It’s cool to be smart” mantra, which he also emphasized in The Daily Record’s office. He added, in both interviews, that he gets “goosebumps” from doing math.

But despite the slightly larger audience, Hrabowski’s message about education, and getting students interested in careers in science and math remained the same.

Watch the piece on “60 Minutes” below:

And below you can see Hrabowski’s Newsmakers interview from April:

http://www.vimeo.com/22710215