Paul T. Baker

Paul T. Baker is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Widener University, located in Chester, PA. His primary affiliations include the Physics Department within the College of Arts & Sciences. He holds a PhD in Physics from Montana State University (2013), an MS in Physics from Montana State University (2008), and a BA in Physics from Reed College (2006). His teaching responsibilities include introductory physics for non-majors, Modern Physics, and Computational Physics.

Dr. Baker’s research focuses on gravitational wave detection, particularly through pulsar timing array collaborations like NANOGrav and IPTA. His work combines physics, astronomy, computing, and statistics to analyze data from supermassive black hole mergers. He has contributed to breakthrough studies such as the International Pulsar Timing Array’s search for gravitational wave backgrounds and the NANOGrav 12.5-year dataset analysis.

He has received the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2016) as part of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. His professional memberships include the American Physical Society, American Association of Physics Teachers, and American Astronomical Society.

Baker has secured National Science Foundation funding through NANOGrav’s Physics Frontiers Center grant. His research highlights interdisciplinary methods, including Bayesian statistical techniques and Python-based pulsar signal simulation tools. Beyond academia, he enjoys户外 activities in mountainous environments.