2022 Best Undergraduate Professors: Warut Khern-am-nuai, McGill University Desautels Faculty of Management

Warut Khern-am-nuai
McGill University Desautels Faculty of Management

“He is a big believer in immersive experience when it comes to learning. He has also heavily utilized information technologies in teaching, especially tools that help with student engagement such as Plickers and Kahoot. Warut has consciously and poignantly married his research and consulting experiences into his classroom discussions, and in guiding class projects. He invests a lot of time in providing unique and personalized feedback to the students.” – Wreetabrata Kar, Assistant Professor of Management at Purdue University

Warut Khern-am-nuai, 39, is Associate Professor of Information Systems at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management.

His research interests include platforms for online marketplaces, predictive analytics, and management information security. His research has been published in premier academic journals, including Management Science, Information Systems Research, and MIS Quarterly, among others. He has received numerous research awards, including the Desautels Faculty Scholar award. He is the youngest scholar to receive Inform’s prestigious ISS Sandra A. Slaughter Early Career Award, announced in October of this year.

He has also received multiple teaching awards both as a Ph.D. student at Purdue University and as a faculty member at McGill University.

BACKGROUND

At current institution since what year? 2016
Education: Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from Purdue University
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Data Mining for Business Analytics

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when… When I decided to pursue a Ph.D., I did extensive research on different disciplines, including business, economics, computer science, etc. I found that the business discipline fits my interest the best.

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? My current research is on the social implications of fair machine learning. My research has identified scenarios where “fair” machine learning, which is designed to provide fairness in prediction results, asymmetrically impacts different groups of prediction subjects. As a result, the gap between minorities and majorities could widen because of “fairness.” We hope our research helps practitioners and policymakers understand the implications of the adoption of fair machine learning in business contexts.

If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be… Consultant, either in data science or information security.

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? Extensive practical knowledge and ability to integrate industry and academic practices.

One word that describes my first time teaching: Thankful. I received a lot of support from my advisors, colleagues, and even students in the class for the first time I taught a class as a Ph.D. student.

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: That everyday is a holiday, but we work on a holiday.

Professor I most admire and why: I deeply admire Professor Maxime C. Cohen. He is exceptionally productive in research while being a great teacher at the same time.

TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? They are highly motivated and well-engaged.

What is most challenging? They do not hesitate to challenge the instructor.

In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Engaging.

In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: None.

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as…Fair and transparent.

LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

What are your hobbies? Video games.

How will you spend your summer? Attending in-person conferences.

Favorite place(s) to vacation: Japan.

Favorite book(s): Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I always enjoy Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I like classical piano pieces, especially when writing a research paper.

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS

If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this… Experiential learning and industry integration.

In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at… Collaborating with academic institutions.

I’m grateful for… All help and support from my advisors, colleagues, and students.

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE 2022 ROSTER OF THE 50 BEST UNDERGRAD PROFESSORS

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.