James Homsey, ’03 received his doctoral degree in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in December 2017. James is a socio-political historian of modern Japan with training in the premodern and modern history of Japan, China, and the broader Asia-Pacific region. He is currently on the academic job market, and plans to pursue a career in academia. James first developed an interest in the history and culture of the Asia-Pacific region thanks to his advisor at Lafayette, Paul Barclay. Inspired by Barclay’s classes, James set off to Nagoya, Japan in 2005 to teach English. What he expected to be a year-long adventure turned into a four year experience. After developing his Japanese language abilities, James decided to apply to graduate school in 2009 to study Japanese history. He landed in Madison, Wisconsin under the guidance of Louise Young, and has never looked back. James has returned to Japan several times since, including as a Fulbright Fellow, and now considers the country a second home. He says that his experience at Lafayette instilled in him a curiosity and ambition that have fueled him along the path of his young academic career. He will be sure to keep us posted regarding where his journey takes him next.