James McKee

James McKee is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Union College in Schenectady, NY, specializing in radio astronomy of neutron stars and pulsar timing for gravitational wave detection since 2024. His work leverages international telescope networks to study extreme cosmic phenomena.

Education:

• B.Sc. in Physics with Astrophysics, University of Hull (2010-2013)
• Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Manchester (2013-2017)

Dr. McKee's research centers on pulsar timing arrays to detect nanohertz gravitational waves from supermassive black hole binaries, using pulsars as cosmic clocks. He investigates interstellar medium turbulence through radio signal dispersion and scattering, and explores connections between giant pulses in pulsars and fast radio bursts. His methodology combines decades-long observational data with advanced scintillometry techniques.

His 2022 study on pulsar B1133+16 demonstrates his innovative approach, using 34 years of Arecibo data to map six discrete interstellar scattering screens within 372 parsecs, achieving sub-parsec precision for structures as close as 5.46 parsecs from Earth.

Dr. McKee actively engages in public outreach through talks at events like WOMAD Music Festival 2024 and media appearances including BBC Radio Humberside. He secured University of Manchester Library funding to digitize 50 years of Jodrell Bank Observatory logbooks and consulted for the award-winning Moscow Planetarium documentary Colorful Universe.

He collaborates with major international consortia: North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav), Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), New Extension in Nançay Upgrading LOFAR (NenuFAR), European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA), and International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA).