2007–08 American Fellow K. Maria D. Lane’s strong affinity for coastal southwest Florida, the region in which she grew up, led to her interest in maps and places. Although she was exposed to multiple cultural and environmental landscapes there, Lane’s career goal was not to become the academic geographer she is today. Her interest in environmental planning as well as her job with the Organization of American States led her to a deeper interest in investigating human-environment relations in a geography doctoral program.
Lane’s Geographies of Mars: Seeing and Knowing the Red Planet, made possible in part by her AAUW fellowship, was published with academic acclaim this year. In her “imaginatively conceived” book, Lane explores the complex construction of Mars, “challeng[ing] dominant geopolitical themes during a time of major cultural, intellectual, political, and economic transition in the western world.” Lane describes the perceived connections between terrestrial and Martian landscapes through this historical, geographic book. Her work has enlarged the study of geography outside of the typical academic scope, asserting the intersection of astronomy and geography within the debates of life on Mars in the 19th century.
Like many other AAUW fellows, Lane has an interdisciplinary academic background. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Virginia, her master of science degree in community and regional planning, and her doctorate in geography from the University of Texas, Austin. She is currently an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico. Lane has a broad list of research interests ranging from historical geography and political ecology to environmental knowledge. Lane’s current project is supported by the National Science Foundation. Through considerable examination of legal archives, she is analyzing the water-related disputes in New Mexico before statehood, a time when the responsibility of water management shifted from local communities to a centralized agency controlled by a state or territory.
Lane says that the AAUW fellowship came at an opportune time, allowing her to focus on research and writing. The chapters she finished during her fellowship year led to a contract and eventual completion of the now-published book. The announcement of the AAUW fellowship came the day of her interview, helping her achieve a position with tenure a track at the University of New Mexico. Lane proudly says that she has been lucky to take advantage of career opportunities as they have arisen while also balancing her aspirations with her personal life.
Lane and her husband have three children, and managing to find a personal-professional balance is one of her biggest accomplishments. She acknowledges that the academic career path for women is complicated by time constraints. Women must strive to exceed at a time where their responsibilities at home are most significant. She encourages current and aspiring academics and says that the balance gets easier over time; discipline, supportive structures, and the backing of AAUW make it all possible for her.
This post was written by AAUW Fellowships and Grants Intern Elyssa Shildneck.
AAUW Dialog 
Leave a Reply