Ed Cackett (ew1397)

University information

Title: Department Chair
Unit: Physics & Astronomy
Department: College of Liberal Arts & Science

Contact information

313-577-9355
337 Physics Research Bldg.
666 W Hancock St
Detroit, 48201

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Title: Distinguished Service Professor
Secondary Title: Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, CLAS
Phone: 313-577-9190
Office:

Office of the Dean, 2155 OId Main
Physics Building, Room 337

Biography:
  • Associate dean for research and graduate studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wayne State University, July 2024 onwards
  • Distinguished service professor, Wayne State University, June 2024 onwards
  • Chair, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Wayne State University, August 2023 - July 2024
  • Interim chair, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Wayne State University, August 2022 - July 2023
  • Professor, Wayne State University, August 2022-June 2024
  • Associate professor, Wayne State University, 2016-2022
  • Assistant professor, Wayne State University, 2012-2016
  • Postdoctral research fellow, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, 2010-2011
  • Schlumberger research fellow, Darwin College, University of Cambridge, 2010-2011
  • Chandrafellow, University of Michigan, 2008-2010
  • Dean MacLaughlin postdoctoral fellow, University of Michigan, 2006-2008
Research interest(s)/area of expertise:

Astrophysics of compact objects (neutron stars and black holes), more specifically:

  • Accretion across the mass scale: from neutron stars and black holes in X-ray binaries to Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN)
  • Accretion disks around supermassive black holes
  • Reverberation mapping in AGN (optical, UV and X-ray) and X-ray binaries (X-ray)
  • Reflection and reverberation in neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries
  • Observational probes of the neutron star dense matter equation of state (neutron star radii and masses)
  • Accretion at low rates and quiescent emission from neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries
Research:
Education:
  • Ph.D., University of St Andrews, UK, 2007
  • M. Sci., University of Durham, UK, 2003
Awards and grants:
  • WSU Career Development Chair (2017)
  • WSU Department of Physics & Astronomy Richard J. Barber Faculty Recognitiion Award (2017)
  • NSF CAREER award (2014)
  • Wayne State Academy of Scholars, Junior Faculty Award (2015)
  • Sultana N. Nahar Prize for Distinction in Research in Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University (2019)
Selected publications:

As of April 2024: 214 articles published in peer-reviewed journals.

An up-to-date lists of publications can be found using the following links:

Citation index:
  • More than 11,700 total citations
  • h-index: 62 (as of April 2024)
Ed Cackett

Planetarium

Title: Associate Professor of Astronomy, Chair of Planetarium Advisory Board
Phone: 313-577-9355
Primary E-mail: ecackett@wayne.edu
Ed Cackett

Courses taught by Ed Cackett

Fall Term 2024 (future)

Winter Term 2024

Fall Term 2023

Fall Term 2022

Winter Term 2022

Recent university news spotlights

Return to Search