Bruce W. Smith

Dr. Bruce W. Smith serves as Professor of Geography in the School of Earth, Environment and Society at Bowling Green State University and as Research Fellow for the Center for Regional Development. His expertise spans economic geography, regional development, and geospatial analysis with applications in cluster-based economic development.

His academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Economic Geography, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (1970)
• M.A. in Geography, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (1967)
• B.A. in Social Studies Education, Potsdam State College of New York (1965)

Smith's research focuses on cluster-based economic development, particularly in northwest Ohio's floriculture industry (a top 5% U.S. production region). He integrates geospatial analysis and social network methodologies to study economic clusters, regional development, and university economic impacts. His work bridges theoretical geography with practical community development applications, examining how century-old family businesses navigate collaboration through embedded social relationships.

Analysis of his 2004-2007 publications reveals consistent application of spatial statistics to economic geography problems. Key trends include identifying economic clusters through spatial autocorrelation, assessing university economic impacts, and modeling social networks in local development. His work demonstrates strong methodological innovation using ArcGIS tools and social network analysis.

As Co-PI, Smith secured significant funding including USDA grants totaling $1.4+ million for Ohio greenhouse industry impact studies (2005-2007) and Economic Development Administration funding ($158k/year) for University Center Programs. These projects support applied research in regional economic development across northwest Ohio.

Smith co-founded the international E-4 network connecting Bowling Green State University, University of Toledo, University of Auckland, Birmingham University, and University of Calgary. This collaboration conducts comparative studies on local economic development using geospatial tools, structural equation modeling, and social network analysis, facilitating global research partnerships across three continents.