"The Fulbright scholarships are all about building connections between countries, so students will learn about New Zealand society through the vehicle of sport, and for me it will be interesting to see how they do things differently both at a US university, and also in terms of extreme sport participation."
A senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education's sport and leisure studies department in Hamilton, Dr Thorpe is among notable scholars and artists to receive the award.
Others include historians Michael King and James Belich, poet Bill Manhire and playwright Roger Hall.
The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Award allows New Zealand academics to undertake research and teach a course at the Centre of Australian and New Zealand Studies for one or two semesters.
Dr Thorpe, who has published many books and articles on extreme sports, said she was excited about the award.
"Georgetown is a prestigious university with the only programme in Australian and New Zealand Studies in the country. My course will provide students with an insight into New Zealand society through my particular field of expertise, that is, the sociology and history of sport."
In 2009, Dr Thorpe received a Leverhulme Visiting Scholar Fellowship, and spent nine months at the University of Brighton.
