Fiona Macpherson, 1998

I grew up in Ayrshire, Scotland. I studied philosophy as an undergraduate at the University of Glasgow and then took an M Litt degree in philosophy at the University of St Andrews.

I then went to the University of Stirling where I studied for a PhD in philosophy. I applied to be a Kennedy Scholar while studying in Stirling and became a visiting fellow in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in the academic year 1998-1999.

I am currently a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Glasgow but will spend 2005-2006 on secondment as a research fellow at the Australian National University.

I enjoyed being a Kennedy Scholar immensely and learned much from my year abroad. I met and worked with academics of the highest calibre. My own research improved through this contact and also by attending courses in related areas of philosophy. Having first-hand experience of the American academic system has also proved very useful in my career.

I was surprised at how different America was to my expectations. Coming to know and understand the country was a pleasure and an eye-opener. A further positive lasting effect has been the many good friends (of American, British and other nationalities) that I made during the year.