Geography graduate receives prestigious Fullbright Award

James will study at Cornell, an Ivy League University in the New York State, thanks to one of the most selective scholarship programmes operating worldwide.

"I feel incredibly privileged to have been selected for a Fulbright Award," said James who will use the Award to read for a PhD at Cornell’s College of Art, Architecture and Planning. "My interest in cities and urban life was first developed during undergraduate lectures at Southampton, and there’s no better place to continue pursuing this interest than the United States. Cornell is home to some of the world’s leading thinkers in this field, and to work closely with them on the issues that I’m passionate about is simply the opportunity of a lifetime."

After receiving a BA in Geography from the University in 2006, graduating first in his year, James returned to Southampton to work as a Research Assistant with Professors Peter Sunley and Steven Pinch, and Dr. Suzanne Reimer.

James then interned at the Legal Services Commission and held a research position at The Health Foundation before later returning to academia as a Research Fellow in the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, where his current research and teaching examines the relationships between low-carbon transport, public policy and the future of cities.

James is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, winning the Society’s 2011 PERG Dissertation Prize, and also runs a masterclass on sustainable mobility for the Prince of Wales's Graduate Fellowship in Architecture and Urbanism, London.

Created by treaty in 1948, the US-UK Fulbright Commission is the only bi-lateral, transatlantic scholarship programme, offering awards for study or research in any field, at any accredited US or UK university. The Commission is part of the Fulbright programme conceived by Senator J. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange. Award recipients will be the future leaders for tomorrow and support the “special relationship” between the US and UK.

The Fulbright Commission selects scholars through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards the Commission looks not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Programme and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.