Professor McKechnie is an award-winning teacher and scholar who focuses on constitutional law and theory, with particular emphasis on the intersection of civil liberties and technology. His scholarship, which examines how constitutional rights are impacted by technological changes, has been cited in U.S. federal district and appellate court decisions. He has received grants for comparative constitutional law research in several European countries and has served as both a Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Specialist in the Slovak Republic.

In the classroom, Professor McKechnie’s teaching is grounded in active learning, encouraging students to engage with legal doctrine through structured problem solving and informed reasoning. He employs dynamic pedagogy to develop both substantive legal knowledge and critical thinking skills, using interactive methods that require students to analyze complex scenarios, test their reasoning in dialogue with peers, and reflect on alternative interpretations. Before joining the U.S. Air Force Academy, he taught First Amendment law and Civil Procedure at the Appalachian School of Law and practiced law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, litigating labor law and free speech cases.

Juris Doctor (cum laude), University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pa. (2002)

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science (summa cum laude), Ohio University, Athens, Ohio (1998)

Professor, Department of Law, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado

Associate Professor, Department of Law, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado (2014-2019)

Associate Professor, Department of Law, Appalachian School of Law, Virginia (2012-2014)

Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Appalachian School of Law, Virginia (2008-2012)

Dean of Faculty Research Grant, U.S. Air Force Academy: Comparative Constitutional Law research at the University of Warmia and Mazury, Poland (2023)

Fulbright Specialist – Slovak Republic (2023)

Superintendent’s Faculty Performance Award (2019)

Fulbright Scholar Award – Slovak Republic (2019)

Dean of Faculty Research Grant, U.S. Air Force Academy: Comparative Constitutional Law research at the Vilnius University Faculty of Law, Lithuania (2017)

Faculty Fellow, Aspen Institute Wye Faculty Seminar (2017)

U.S. Air Force Academy Dean’s Team Award (2017)

Dean of Faculty Research Grant, U.S. Air Force Academy: Comparative Constitutional Law research at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Law, Croatia (2016)

U.S. Air Force Academy’s Outstanding Academy Educator Award (2016)

Selected for Fulbright Specialist Roster – U.S. Constitutional Law and Theory (2014)

Selection for Fulbright Scholar Award (2014)

Appalachian School of Law Faculty Scholarship Award (2012)

Professor McKechnie focuses his scholarship on constitutional law, exploring the intersection of technology and civil liberties from doctrinal, theoretical, and comparative perspectives.