James is an active researcher, receiving several million dollars in grants from federal, state, and industry sources, presenting numerous talks, including a 2019 AAPG Levorsen award, and publishing on a diversity of geoscience topics, including a Grover E. Murray Best Published Paper award in 2017 and co-author of the inaugural GCAGS/GCSSEPM Transactions Best Student Paper award in 2018. He served as the GCAGS Publisher since 2006 and in various GCAGS/GCSSEPM Transactions editing capacities since 2006, including the 2014 and 2017–2020 Editor (named Permanent Transactions Editor in 2017), and Managing Editor since 2011, receiving a GCAGS Distinguished Service Award in 2018 and Honorary Membership in 2023. He served as the General Chair for GeoGulf 2020 (70th GCAGS/GCSSEPM Convention), the 1st hybrid geoscience conference in the world. He is a Past President and Honorary Lifetime Member of the Lafayette Geological Society and served as its Editor and Publisher from 2002-2018. In 2018, he founded the Willis School of Applied Geoscience, reformulating decades of industry-training experience to provide alternative opportunities for graduate-level education. In 2020, he received an Honorary Membership from GCSSEPM. He also joined the LSU faculty as an adjunct professor in 2020. In 2021, he co-founded the Society of Applied Geoscientists and Engineer (SAGE), serving as its President, General Chair for the SAGE 2022 Convention & Exposition, and Vice-Chair for the Benghazi International Geoscience & Engineering Conference 2022 (BIGEC 2022).