Fulbright presented the opportunity for me to make valuable contacts and complete a key element of research necessary for the publication of my book. I gained a sense of the UK that could only have come with deep immersion. I decided to apply to teach and do research on the history of sourdough bread, figuring that the reviewers would either think I was coming in with the battiest idea ever, or they would like it.

The experience allowed me to gain better understanding of the most important turning point in my book. For six thousand years bread was the primary staple of western civilizations and until the industrial revolution, all of it was leavened with sourdough starters. Industrialisation that began in the textile industry in Manchester and Lancaster would change everything about the world, including what we eat, and how our food is prepared.

Lancaster suited me because I wanted to be close to Manchester for my research on the role of the UK in the Industrial Revolution. I also wanted to be close to nature and the Lake District so I could experience England’s rural spaces. The UK has some wonderful Right to Roam laws which allow you to take in walks along the canal and enjoy rolling fields and great views around Lancashire and Cumbria Counties. Living in Lancaster, my wife and I stayed in a bedsit with a family and we hit it off famously. We took many meals together laughing until we couldn’t breathe!

During the scholarship, my time was split 50:50 between teaching and research. The course I taught and piloted at Lancaster University, I went on to teach several times, when I returned to my home institution. Since my Fulbright experience, I have delivered many lectures, podcasts, and media presentations on my research.

This experience led to my institution, Allegheny College, hosting the Worldwide Symposium for Sustainable Development in Higher Education in 2022 and publishing the proceedings in 2023.

If you are thinking about applying for a Fulbright scholarship , give yourself plenty of time to work through the application process. Begin conversations early with potential host institutions. Remember that the reviewers of your application will not be specialists in your discipline so make certain you can explain why your proposal is of broad importance to the UK, and your home institution, not just your personal growth as a scholar.