Dr Gemma Morgan, Senior Lecturer in Criminology has been awarded the Fulbright Scholarship for 2023, regarded as the most prestigious and selective scholarship programmes operating globally.
The Scholarship will enable her to develop her ground-breaking research at the Centre for Advancing Correctional Excellence in George Mason University, Virginia. Participants of the Fulbright Program are chosen for their academic excellence, community activities and leadership potential – and are offered the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research under the scheme.
The award has been granted to Dr Morgan for the development of a unique app which aims to support prison-leavers to stop offending in the UK and USA.
The My Journey app, created in collaboration with Legal Innovation Lab Wales and Include UK, is a web-based app that supports prison-leavers to reintegrate into society by enabling them and criminal justice professionals to identify their needs, access tailored support and link them with specialist support in the community.
The app has already been embedded within Include UK and is being piloted with prison leavers in South Wales – Dr Morgan now hopes to take her research to an international audience.
Gemma had this to say about the Scholarship:
“I am thrilled to have been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. It is an incredible honour, and I am immensely grateful to the Fulbright Commission for this opportunity. Fulbright’s commitment to fostering global collaboration and promoting positive change aligns perfectly with my aspirations and research.
I am looking forward to working with the Centre for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!) at George Mason University and engaging in meaningful research that will have a tangible impact on the world. I hope this will be the start of a long-term partnership that will help to reduce re-offending and support positive outcomes for people in the criminal justice in the UK, US, and globally.”
A previous winner of Swansea University Rising Star award for 2022 and a finalist at the Criminal Justice Alliance Awards for ‘Outstanding Individual’, Dr Morgan’s work seeks to understand and support prison leavers’ experiences.
Professor Ryan Murphy, Executive Dean and Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, said:
“Gemma’s research and remarkable achievements are a source of great pride for the Department of Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences more widely.
Her collaborative approach to research – having engaged with local and national organisation such as Include UK – encapsulates our ethos in the faculty. We believe research into humanities and social sciences is strongest when conducted in collaboration with other academic departments and organisations, ensuring our research delivers real-world, long-term impact for communities.”
Further information on Dr Gemma Morgan and other Fulbright scholars for 2023, can be found here: https://fulbright.org.uk/our-community/meet-our-fulbrighters/