Following a successful bid for an academic scholarship from the US-UK Fulbright Commission, a Coventry criminology lecturer has been granted a four-month teaching assignment in the Unites States, lecturing at a North Carolinian institute.
David Baker, Senior lecturer in criminology, will be heading off to teach at Elon University, North Carolina, from August 2016 onwards. During his time abroad David will continue to further his work in the field of criminology, as well as continuing his research into his specific area of interest, namely cases of suspect deaths whilst in police custody and following contact with law enforcement officers.
While in the States, David has plans to interview a number of families who have had contact with US police. Spread across 14 cities, the interviews will enhance his previous research which culminated in the publishing of, ‘Deaths after police contact: constructing accountability in the 21st century.’ The book is published by Palgrave and will be available to buy from September.
Commenting on receiving the award, David said:
“I feel very privileged to be given this opportunity to live, teach, and do research in the United States. I hope to immerse myself in the culture and nature of the US and visit as many different places as I can while I am there. I aim to be a good ambassador for Coventry University and the Fulbright Commission.”
Penny Egan, Executive Director, US-UK Fulbright Commission said:
“I know our 2016 cohort will do us great credit during their time in the US and beyond. Only exceptional scholars and students win Fulbright awards: one of the world’s most competitive merit-based international scholarships. In the 70th year of the Special Relationship, we are proud to send the best of British academia to the US.”
The Commission selects scholars through a rigorous application and interview process and 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 return.