Rate My Professor Naomi Wells

Dr Naomi Wells serves as Adjunct Lecturer in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Southern Cross University, Lismore. With qualifications including an MSc and PhD, she is a biogeochemist who employs stable isotopes such as δ15N and δ18O to investigate the movement and transformation of nitrogen through soil, air, groundwater, and surface water systems. Her research addresses critical environmental processes, contributing directly to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to clean water, climate action, and life on land. Previously, Dr Wells held the position of Lecturer at Southern Cross University's Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research from March 2016 to July 2021. In her current role, she teaches Catchment and Water Management and supervises postgraduate students researching biogeochemical cycles, particularly nitrogen and carbon dynamics in terrestrial, freshwater, and coastal settings. Ongoing projects include studies on biogeochemistry in intermittent streams, atmospheric nitrogen deposition, and organic matter storage in deep soils.

Dr Wells has produced 63 peer-reviewed publications, accumulating over 1,160 citations. Key contributions include "Drainage Ditches (“Hot Spots”) and Storms (“Hot Moments”) Define Aquatic Greenhouse Gas (CO2, CH4, N2O) Emissions From the Land‐to-Ocean Aquatic Continuum" (2025), "Estuaries as Sources and Sinks of N2O Across a Land Use Intensity Gradient" (Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 2018), "Anoxic nitrogen cycling in a hydrocarbon and ammonium contaminated aquifer" (Water Research, 2018), "Influence of artificial drainage system design on the nitrogen removal" (Journal of Environmental Management, 2018), "Spatial and temporal variations in nitrogen export from a New Zealand catchment" (Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 2016), and "Semi-arid irrigation farm dams are a small source of greenhouse gas emissions" (2023). Her work elucidates greenhouse gas emissions from aquatic systems, nutrient cycling, and pollution mitigation strategies. Additionally, she has been involved in national conferences like the 2022 Australasian Environmental Isotope Conference and PhD scholarship initiatives on soil and water biogeochemistry.