By: Christina Le Beau

April 4, 2005, Crain's Chicago Business

Excerpt from the article:

The difference between a good teacher and a great teacher is one who not only knows the subject matter, but can inspire students to get out of bed for an early class. Here's a roundup of the top profs at Chicago's MBA programs.

Scott McKeon
Statistics and mathematical methods
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Statistics. Snoozeville, right? Not in the hands of Scott McKeon, Kellogg's reigning L. G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year.

"To be a professor of anything related to statistics and be the professor of the year is a true testament to the amazing professor he is," says student Saq Nadeem, 28.

Strong praise for a subject that generates more than its share of frustration. But students say Mr. McKeon, 39, now in his 10th year at Kellogg, shuns abstractions and makes the numbers tell a story.

The point isn't to use gimmicks to persuade students that statistics is fun, Mr. McKeon says. Rather, he tries to teach students that verbal and visual explanations complement math, "which ultimately allows them to understand the subject more deeply and empowers them to find their own linkages to the real world," he says.