Dr. Jesse Lane

Assistant Professor

Geography

Education

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

Courses Taught

• 32-101 Introduction to Geography
• 32-207 GPS Fundamentals
• 32-364 Image Interpretation
• 32-410 Geographic Approaches to Research

Academic Interests

I am a human geographer who researches a variety of topics relating to uneven development, international 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 particular 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. I plan on expanding my research on this topic in the future.

Scholarly Activity

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Lane, J. M. & Liu Z. J. (2022). The impact of foreign-trade zones on county level development: A temporal analysis. Papers in Applied Geography, under review.
• 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. 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

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.

Other Professional Experience

• President of the North Carolina Geographical Society
• Editor-in-Chief of The North Carolina Geographer