Nancy M. Wells
Associate Professor
Graduate Fields
Research Focus
Professor Wells is an environmental psychologist who studies people's relationship with the built and natural environment through the life course. In particular, Wells studies the impact of nearby nature on cognitive functioning, the influence of neighborhood design on physical activity, and the effects of housing quality on psychological well-being. Her work has included the study of children, adults, elders and families. Projects include an examination of the relationship between childhood exposure to nature and adulthood environmental attitudes; and a natural experiment examining how neighborhood design characteristics affect residents' physical activity.Educational Background
Prior to joining the Cornell faculty, Dr. Wells received a joint PhD in Psychology and Architecture from the University of Michigan and completed a NIMH post-doctoral fellowship in the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine.
Nancy also received a Master's degree in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Connecticut College.
Other Pages
Departments
Research Grants
- ENVIRONMENTS & ELDERS: IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING THROUGH SERVICE LEARNING
Selected Publications
PubMed ListingsWells, N.M. and Harris, J.D. (2007). Housing quality, psychological
distress, and the mediating role of social withdrawal: A
longitudinal study of low-income women.
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 27, 69-78.
Brown, B.B. and Wells, N.M. (Eds.) (2007). Environment, physical activity, and diet. Special Issue of Environment and Behavior, 39 (1).
Wells, N.M., Ashdown, S.P., Davies, E.H.S., Cowett, F.D. and Yang, Y. (2007). Environment, Design and Obesity: Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborative research. Environment and Behavior, 39 (1), 6 - 33.
Wells, N.M. and Lekies, K.S. (2006). Nature and the Life Course: Pathways from childhood nature experiences to adult environmentalism. Children, Youth, and Environment, 16 (1), 1-24.
Wells, N.M. (2005). Our housing, ourselves: A longitudinal investigation of low-income women's participatory housing experiences. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25, 189-206
Wells, N.M. & Evans, G.W. (2003) Nearby Nature: A buffer of life stress among rural children. Environment and Behavior, 35 (3), 311-330.
Wells, N.M. (2000). At home with nature: effects of greenness on children's cognitive functioning. Environment and Behavior, 32 (6), 775-795.
Brown, B.B. and Wells, N.M. (Eds.) (2007). Environment, physical activity, and diet. Special Issue of Environment and Behavior, 39 (1).
Wells, N.M., Ashdown, S.P., Davies, E.H.S., Cowett, F.D. and Yang, Y. (2007). Environment, Design and Obesity: Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborative research. Environment and Behavior, 39 (1), 6 - 33.
Wells, N.M. and Lekies, K.S. (2006). Nature and the Life Course: Pathways from childhood nature experiences to adult environmentalism. Children, Youth, and Environment, 16 (1), 1-24.
Wells, N.M. (2005). Our housing, ourselves: A longitudinal investigation of low-income women's participatory housing experiences. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25, 189-206
Wells, N.M. & Evans, G.W. (2003) Nearby Nature: A buffer of life stress among rural children. Environment and Behavior, 35 (3), 311-330.
Wells, N.M. (2000). At home with nature: effects of greenness on children's cognitive functioning. Environment and Behavior, 32 (6), 775-795.