Jason Derr grew up in Montoursville, PA, and has had a passion for the natural sciences since a young age. He attended Bloomsburg University to obtain a B.S. in Physics, moved to Houston and worked on biophysics research for several years, and then obtained a Ph.D. in Plasma Physics at UT Austin. His focus was (and has since been) auroral physics, particularly through the lens of plasma stability theory, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, and ultra-low frequency waves.

Following his Ph.D., he did postdoctoral research at Rice University in Houston on global magnetospheric dynamics, ballooning-interchange instabilities, and field-aligned potential drops which accelerate particles from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. While at Rice University, he hosted the Rice University Space Physics Seminar Series for several years. At West Point, his research focus is on ionospheric scintillation. He has an amateur radio license (call sign KI5YMW), and his goal is to help West Point to obtain a Personal Space Weather Station.

His interests include philosophy, mathematics, logic, biology and artificial intelligence. Hobbies include walking, reading and meditating.