Ph.D. Candidate
School of Earth and Environment
Ernest Rutherford Building, Room 262

​Nick (Nicky) Patton

I just started a postdoc with the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, NV!
About me
I am a watershed scientist who is interested in the complex interaction between biotic and abiotic processes that drive landscape, climate, and ecosystem evolution. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Canterbury working closely with the British Geological Survey (BGS) and Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) on a suite of projects dealing with landscape evolution, stable isotope, climate, and modelling.
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​In the past, I have worked with research groups such as the Critical Zone Observatories (CZO), Center for Ecological Research and Education (CERE), Center of Archaeological Materials and Applied Spectroscopy (CAMAS), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on multifaceted projects. Working with such diverse groups, my work tends to be at the interface of many scientific disciplines which has motivated me to become a voice for the scientific community and an advocate of science literacy and communication.
Doctorates of Philosophy (2020-Present) ~ Transferred
  • Major: Geology
  • Focus: Landscape evolution, soil movement, geomorphology,  and GIS
  • Thesis Topic: Landscape evolution of the south east Queensland dunefields
  • Advisers: Dr. Jamie Shulmeister, Dr. Peter Almond,  Dr. Tim Stahl, and Dr. Tammy Rittenour
  • Committee Members: Dr. Kevin Welsh, Dr. Melanie Leng, and Dr. Matthew, Jones 
Picture
https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/
Doctorates of Philosophy (2018-2020) ~ Transferred
  • Major: Geology
  • Focus: Stable isotopes, lake sediments, biogeochemistry, and hydrology
  • Thesis Topic: Reconstructing climate variability in sub-tropical Australi
  • ​Advisers: Dr. Jamie Shulmeister, Dr. Kevin Welsh, Dr. Melanie Leng, and Dr. Matt Jones
Picture
http://uq.edu.au/
Masters of Science (2014-2016)
  • Major: Geology
  • Focus: Soil science, biogeochemistry, geomorphology, GIS, and spatial statistics
  • Thesis Topic: Modelling thickness of mobile regolith and SOC /nitrogen stocks 
  • Adviser: Dr. Kathleen Lohse
  • Committee Members: Dr. Mark Seyfried, Dr. Sarah Godsey, and Dr. Benjamin Crosby
Picture
https://www.isu.edu/
Bachelors of Science (2010-2013)
  • Double Major:  Chemistry and Geology
  • Focus: Environmental chemistry, aqueous chemistry, and hydrology
  • Thesis Topic: Aqueous chemistry and flow paths within streams and wetlands
  • Advisers: Dr. Min Li and Dr. Kyle Fredrick
Picture
https://www.calu.edu/
Last edited 26 April, 2022