Lane selected as fellow of the American Association of Geographers

Maria Lane, dean of Graduate Studies and professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, has been named as a fellow of the American Association of Geographers (AAG).

The AAG Fellows program recognizes geographers who have made significant contributions to the field. Geography as a discipline seeks to advance our understanding of how human societies and natural systems interact to shape our world, and Lane's work demonstrates how historical inquiry deepens that understanding by illuminating the forces that continue to shape our present.

Lane is an internationally recognized historical geographer as well as the author of two books published by University of Chicago Press: Geographies of Mars: Seeing and Knowing the Red Planet (2011) and Fluid Geographies: Water, Science, and Settler Colonialism in New Mexico (2024). Both books are focused on how scientific and cartographic practices shape environmental knowledge and power.

"Maria Lane's election as an AAG Fellow - one of the highest honors in the field of geography -recognizes a career of sustained and distinguished contributions through scholarship, leadership, and public engagement," said Christopher Lippitt, professor and chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. "Her work has fundamentally advanced how we understand the relationships among science, the environment, and power. The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies is deeply proud of Maria and grateful for the lasting impact she continues to have on our field and community."

Lane was department chair from 2014 to 2019 and helped to launch New Mexico's first joint Ph.D. program in geography. She is the founder of the R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography, and as chair worked to expand the number of faculty in the department and led a redesign of the undergraduate curriculum.

In addition, she also played a leading role in securing major National Science Foundation funding that has strengthened graduate education, supported community-engaged research, and advanced climate change and geovisualization initiatives. Lane has also served as editor of both Historical Geography and the Journal of Historical Geography and has mentored graduate students conducting research on historical and cultural geography topics.

AAG Fellows contribute to the association's initiatives in a variety of ways, including advising on AAG strategic direction and grand challenges; serving on AAG task forces or committees; mentoring early and mid-career faculty, and have the opportunity to serve on a standing committee and provide support and expertise as needed.