Dr. Jesse Lane

Assistant Professor of Geography

Education

• Ph.D. Geography
• M.S. Geospatial Science
• B.S. Social Science Secondary Education

Courses Taught

• Introduction to Geography
• Fundamentals of GPS
• Image Interpretation and Analysis
• Survey of Geospatial Technology
• Economic Globalization
• Sustainable Economic Development
• Geography of the Global South
• Geographic Approaches to Research

Academic Interests

I am a human geographer concerned with the relationship between people and place, especially the political and economic sphere. I have taught a variety of courses at Northwest Missouri and other universities concerning economic development, political economy, human geography, earth science, physical geography, world regional geography, GPS fundamentals, and geographic information systems. As we expand our courses offered and evolve with changing technologies, I will be teaching courses related to sustainability and state-of-the-art methodologies in current use by geographers.

Research

My research consists of various studies related to uneven development, maritime trade, and access to food and physical activity. My dissertation focused specifically on the impact of foreign-trade zones (FTZs) on patterns of development. The FTZ is a specific type of place-based economic policy designed to promote international trade on a local scale; however, this policy initiative has resulted in the clustering of manufacturing and trade-based firms in large urban regions at the expense of rural neighboring communities. Additionally, the clustering of dirty industries near minority communities has resulted in an increase in cancer rates and the degradation of fisheries along hardened shorelines. I have also expanded my research into the field of health geographies with my recent publication concerning accessibility to fresh foods and physical activity, two important aspects of healthy lifestyles. Minority communities and suburban regions bordering large urban centers are most affected by limited accessibility to fresh foods and physical activity, resulting in higher rates of morbidity.

Scholarly Activity

I am currently researching the relationship between access to healthy foods, physical activity spaces, and socioeconomic factors in the Southeastern United States and how this relationship differs in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. Additionally, I am beginning a new project analyzing the impact of the Missouri Enhanced Enterprise Zone program on economic growth patterns at the county scale.

Publications: Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Lane, J. M. (2024). The foreign-trade zone and its impact on neighboring communities in Mobile, Alabama. Southeastern Geographer, 64(1), 128-155. https://doi.org/10.1353/sgo.2024.a920710
• Lane, J. M., & Liu, Z. J. (2022). The impact of foreign-trade zones on county level development: A temporal analysis. Papers in Applied Geography, 8(4), 452-467. https://doi.org/10.1080/23754931.2022.2110846
• Lane, J. M. & Davis, B. A. (2022). Food, physical activity, and health deserts in Alabama: The spatial link between healthy eating, exercise, and socioeconomic factors. Geojournal, 87, 5229–5249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-021-10568-2
• Lane, J. M. & Pretes, M. (2020). Maritime dependency and economic prosperity: Why access to oceanic trade matters. Marine Policy, 121, 104180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.104180
• Lane, J. M. (2020). Foreign-trade zones in the Southeastern United States: Do they promote economic development or lead to spatial inequality? Southeastern Geographer, 60(2), 141-158. https://doi.org/10.1353/sgo.2020.0012

Publications: Chapters in Edited Volumes

• Lane, J. M. (2018). Maritime trade. In R. F. Buschmann & L. Nolde (Eds.). The world's oceans: Geography, history, and environment (pp. 297-300). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Selected Conference Presentations

• Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG); Norfolk, VA; November 20, 2023: Urban and rural health deserts in the Southeast: Socioeconomic impacts and diverging trends.

• Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG); Atlanta, GA; November 21, 2022: The foreign-trade zone in Mobile, Alabama and its impact on neighboring communities.
• Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG); Florence, AL; November 22, 2021: Food, physical activity, and health deserts in Alabama: The spatial link between healthy eating, exercise, and socioeconomic factors (Brett A. Davis co-presenter).
• Alabama State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (ASAHPERD); Birmingham, AL; November 16, 2021: Health deserts in Alabama (Brett A. Davis co-presenter).
• American Association of Geographers (AAG); virtual; April 8, 2021: Spatial & temporal impact of foreign-trade zones on economic development in the United States.
• Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG); Annual Conference Special Session Presentation; virtual; November 7, 2020: Spatial & temporal impact of foreign-trade zones on economic development in the United States.
• Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG); Wilmington, NC; November 25, 2019: Foreign-Trade Zones in the Southeastern United States: Do they promote economic development or lead to inequality?
• North Carolina Geographical Society (NCGS); Greensboro, NC; November 1, 2019: Foreign-Trade Zones in the Southeastern United States: Do they promote economic development or lead to inequality?
• American Association of Geographers (AAG); Poster Presentation; Washington, DC; April 5, 2019: Wealth and renewable energy: The growing division within the energy economy.
• Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG); Johnson City, TN; November 19, 2018: Wealth and renewable energy: The growing division within the energy economy.
• American Association of Geographers (AAG); Poster Presentation; New Orleans, LA; April 13, 2018: The future of maritime shipping: How will technology change the industry?
• Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG); Starkville, MS; November 20, 2017: Maritime exposure and economic prosperity: Why location matters.

Other Professional Experience

• Editor-in-Chief of The North Carolina Geographer
• Reviewer for Applied Economics
• Reviewer for Southeastern Geographer
• Reviewer for Papers in Applied Geography

Selected Fellowships and Honors

• CASE Excellence Award: Outstanding Faculty Lecturer, 2021-2022: University of North Alabama; nominated
• Diversity Initiatives Mini-Grant, 2020-2021: Funding for a proposed National Geographic Giant Map educational initiative; University of North Carolina at Greensboro; received
• Gordon Bennett Award for Outstanding Geography Graduate Student, 2021, an award given “In recognition of excellence in research, teaching, and service in the department and discipline of Geography.”
• Gamma Theta Upsilon honor society inductee, 2019
• Phi Kappa Phi honor society inductee, 2014
• Phi Alpha Theta honor society inductee, 2009