Col James R. Fee JR.
Associate Dean
Colonel Fee is the Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering and Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). As the Dean’s principal advisor, he leads, directs and executes an annual operating budget of $12M, plus $25M in sponsor research funds across the Graduate School’s six major academic departments encompassing 37 accredited graduate programs and seven research centers. In addition, he recruits, develops, assesses and recognizes the performance of all 285 military and civilian personnel assigned to the school and provides for their health and welfare and, as appropriate, for their families.
Colonel Fee holds a Bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University as well as a Master's and Doctoral degree in Nuclear Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He entered the Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1997. He holds a dual Air Force specialty as an intelligence and acquisitions officer. He has served at the Wing, Air Staff, and DoD levels. In 2011, Colonel Fee deployed to serve as an Intelligence Advisor to the Iraqi Air Force/A2, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing, Victory Base Complex, Baghdad, Iraq.
Colonel Fee also holds a facutly appointment as an Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering. He completed his doctoral degree with a specialty in nuclear weapon effects simulation in September 2015. His dissertation research involved computational modeling the effects of Electromagnetic Pulse from a nuclear weapon detonation in the atmosphere.
Colonel Fee received his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Purdue University upon his graduation in December 1997. He began his career with training to be an intelligence officer. Upon graduation from intelligence training in December 1998, he was assigned to the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) at Patrick AFB, Florida. As Chief of Information Operations, he was second in command for a team of more than 40 enlisted personnel operating AFTAC’s 24-hour-a-day data collection system from a global network of sensors. In June 2000, he was selected to attend graduate school at AFIT at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. Upon graduation in March 2002, he was assigned to the 526th ICBM Systems Wing at Hill AFB, Utah. There he was responsible for managing Electromagnetic Pulse testing for the Minuteman (MM) III missiles to ensure the MM fleet was properly hardened against a nuclear attack on the United States.
In February 2004, he was selected to become the Executive Officer to the Commander, 526th ICBM Systems Wing. After serving as an executive officer for a year, he was selected for special duty assignment as a strategic nuclear analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency in McLean, Virginia. In November 2007, he moved to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency at Fort Belvoir, VA to work as the Program Manager of the Advanced Electronics Program. As program manager, he was responsible for ensuring radiation hardened electronics were available for the Air Force’s missile systems as well as GPS satellites. He was selected to become an instructor at the Squadron Officer School in June 2009 at Maxwell AFB, AL. In March 2010, he was selected to become the Operations Officer for the 29th Student Squadron at the Air and Space Basic Course.
In August 2010, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq for six months where he served as an Intelligence Advisor to the Iraqi Air Force under OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. In July 2011, he began his studies as a student at Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, AL. Upon graduation in July 2012, he was selected to attend a residence program for doctoral studies. He completed his PhD in Sept 2015 and was appointed as an Asssitant Professor of Engineering. In June 2017, he was selected to become the Section Commander at AFIT and served in this position until his current assignment in June 2019.
Education
Ph.D., Nuclear Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 2015
M.A, Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL 2012
M.S., Nuclear Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 2002
B.S., Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafeyette, Indiana, 1997
Awards
- Air Force Achievement Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters (2016)
- Lt Col Charles P. Brothers Outstanding Volunteer Service Award (2015)
- Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society (2014)
- Wright Brothers “Officership Award" (2012)
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster (2011)
- Meritorious Service Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters (2011)
- National Defense Service Medal with oak leaf cluster (2011)
- Iraq Campaign Medal (2011)
- Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (2011)
- Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border (2011)
Publications
Refereed Journal Articles, in Print
- J. R. Fee , J. C. Petrosky, Medium-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Model Requirements and Development, Journal of Radiation Effects, 33(1), 78-84 (May 2015).
- J. R. Fee, J. C. Petrosky, B. F. Akers, Reestablishing an Air Burst EMP Simulation Capability, Journal of Radiation Effects, 34(1), 78-84 (Nov 2016)
Refereed Journal Articles, in Progress
- J. R. Fee, J. C. Petrosky, Validation of the Air Burst EMP Simulation Capability, B-Code, Journal of Radiation Effects.
Contributed Conference Presentations
- J. R. Fee, J. C. Petrosky, Validation of the Air Burst EMP Simulation Capability, B-code, 2016 Hardened Electronics and Radiation Technology Conference, Monterey, CA, 16-20 April 2016.
- J. R. Fee, J. C. Petrosky, Approximation Methodologies for Simulating EMP from Medium Altitude Nuclear Detonations, 2015 Hardened Electronics and Radiation Technology Conference, Chantilly, VA, 20-24 April 2015.
- J.R. Fee, J.C.Petrosky, Medium-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Model Requirements and Development, 2014 Hardened Electronics and Radiation Technology Conference, Huntsville, AL, March 2014 (accepted; cancelled due to sequestration).