About

Professor Nancy Wells leads the Wells Lab at Cornell University within the Department of Human Centered Design, focusing on the effects of the built and natural environment on human health and health behaviors. Her interdisciplinary research has explored various topics including the impact of housing quality on the mental health of low-income women in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, the influence of neighborhood design on physical activity, and the effects of access to nature on cognitive functioning, psychological well-being, and resilience. Additionally, her work has examined the role of school gardens in influencing dietary intake and physical activity among children. Current research interests include investigating how the natural environment contributes to human resilience and how exposure to nature affects the behavior and well-being of individuals with autism. The Wells Lab integrates research, teaching, and outreach by designing practical yet rigorous studies to assess causal relationships between environmental factors and health outcomes. The lab emphasizes the development of valid and reliable measures and aims to identify causal pathways when possible. Professor Wells mentors both undergraduate and graduate students, involving them in all stages of the research process from data collection to publication. The lab actively disseminates findings to stakeholders to support evidence-based environments, policies, and decision-making.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Medicine
• Clinical psychology
• Social psychology
• Psychotherapist
• Gerontology
• Psychiatry
• Nursing
• Environmental resource management
• Environmental science
• Developmental psychology
• Environmental health

Selected publications

• Acceptability-minded frameworks for scaling institutional dining interventions: a scoping review and stakeholder analysis

  Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 2026-05-13

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Introduction Research on institutional dining interventions often emphasizes the potential of behavior-change strategies to prime individuals toward healthier, more sustainable diets. While these solutions can be effective in shifting diner behavior, their ability to contribute to larger food systems transformation ultimately depends on how likely prospective implementers are to adopt and maintain them. With a focus on university foodservice, we explore the role of evaluation in institutional dining research by identifying the indicators used to assess intervention acceptability and examining how their incorporation within the literature aligns with the views of decision-making stakeholders. Methods We conducted a scoping review to identify the metrics used to measure the acceptability of institutional dining interventions. After arranging these metrics into broader indicators, we calculated the frequency with which acceptability indicators were reported and asked stakeholders in university foodservice to rank them based on their relative importance. Results From the 116 reviewed studies, we identified eight acceptability indicators evaluating the impacts of institutional dining interventions on (1) diner experience, (2) dietary health, (3) dietary sustainability, (4) food prices, (5) operating costs, (6) staff satisfaction, (7) institutional sustainability, and (8) organizational culture. While most studies included some metric of intervention acceptability, the frequency with which individual acceptability indicators were reported varied by theme, with more studies evaluating changes in organizational culture than all other acceptability indicators combined. These reporting patterns, however, were not predictive of how acceptability indicators were viewed by decision-making stakeholders. Rather, seldom-reported themes, like diner experience, were rated as more important while frequently reported themes, like organizational culture, were rated as less important. Discussion Efforts to align institutional dining research with the goals of foodservice stakeholders are needed to scale change across institutions. Our findings demonstrate how current evaluation approaches fail to consistently represent the priorities of the decision makers responsible for managing foodservice. To accelerate the adoption of institutional dining interventions, institutional dining research must aim beyond assessing changes in food choice alone and recruit evaluation frameworks that reflect the outcomes prospective implementers care about.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Testing nature-based biopsychosocial resilience theory: a research programme protocol

  Archives of Public Health · 2026-04-24

  articleOpen access

  Interventions that use nature contact to promote health and well-being exist at the societal/infrastructural level (incl. nature-based solutions) and the individual/group level (incl. nature-based therapies). One way nature-based therapies promote health is by fostering resilience to manage stressors. Nature-based biopsychosocial resilience theory (NBRT) provides a framework to explain how nature plays a role in how resilience-related adaptive resources are built and maintained but this has yet to be tested. The current paper outlines a four-year multi-country (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK) research programme that tests the NBRT framework and explores how nature-based therapies can build and maintain individual and community resilience. As well as reviewing and mapping existing interventions globally, nine case studies across Europe are exploring how nature promotes resilience across: (1) whole populations (three case studies); (2) individuals at-risk of metabolic syndrome (three case studies); and (3) individuals with existing issues such as chronic stress, mobility challenges, or cognitive impairments (three case studies). Three case studies use longitudinal cohorts, five use randomised controlled trials, and one a practitioner shared-experience approach. The determinants and impacts of nature-based therapies are also considered beyond effects on individual participants, by assessing distributional issues (e.g., health equity), environmental impacts, financial implications, broader societal acceptability and engagement, as well as the barriers and enablers to successful implementation. In three specific case studies (Barcelona, Padua and Salzburg), this is done through multi-sectoral social innovation actions we refer to as ‘Resilience Hubs’. Results will be summarised in academic publications, a series of sector-specific guides, and an overall ‘What works’ guide for practitioners, policy makers, and the public. We use a novel theoretical framework to structure a research and innovation programme to inform the implementation of nature-based therapies across Europe and globally. Challenges include the integration of terminology and research practices from multiple disciplinary perspectives, participant recruitment and attrition, especially among marginalised groups, a potential lack of local stakeholder time and interest, potentially small effect sizes of time-limited interventions, and difficulties in identifying distinct causal mechanisms. Mitigation strategies are discussed. Of nine case studies (CSs), five are intervention trials and have been registered: a) CS4 doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN74582097 (22.07.2024); b) CS5 doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14169596 (10.06.2024); c) CS6 clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06622629 (30.09.2024); d) CS7 doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN93192592 (29.05.2024); e) CS8 clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06205940 (15.05.2024). All nine case studies have received ethical approval (see Declarations section).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Acceptability-minded frameworks for scaling institutional dining interventions: A scoping review and stakeholder analysis

  2026-01-06

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Introduction: Research on institutional dining interventions often emphasizes the promise of behavior-change strategies in shifting individuals toward healthier, more sustainable diets. While these solutions can be effective in shaping diner behavior, their potential to contribute to larger food systems transformation ultimately depends on how likely decision makers are to adopt and maintain them. With a focus on university foodservice, we explore the role of intervention acceptability in institutional-dining research by identifying the indicators used to measure it and examining how their incorporation within the literature aligns with the operational priorities of prospective implementers.Methods: We conducted a scoping review of 116 studies to identify the metrics used to measure the acceptability of institutional dining interventions. After arranging these metrics into themed indicator categories, we calculated the frequency with which individual indicators were reported and asked university-foodservice stakeholders to rank them based on their relative importance. Results: We identified eight indicators measuring changes in diner experience, dietary health, dietary sustainability, food prices, operating costs, staff satisfaction, institutional sustainability, and organizational culture. While most studies included some metric of intervention acceptability, reporting prevalence across indicators varied by theme, with more studies tracking changes in organizational culture than all other indicators combined. Reporting prevalence, however, was not predictive of how indicators were perceived by university-foodservice stakeholders, with seldom-reported themes, like diner experience, often being rated among the most important, and frequently reported themes, like organizational culture, often being rated among the least. Discussion: Efforts to align research with the goals of foodservice stakeholders are needed to scale sustainable dining interventions across institutions. Our findings demonstrate how the frameworks used to evaluate institutional dining interventions fail to represent the priorities of decision makers responsible for managing foodservice change. To accelerate the adoption of these solutions, institutional-dining research must move beyond assessments of dietary change alone and begin incorporating metrics that matter to prospective implementers.

  PublisherDOI

• The effect of the natural environment and greenness on behavior, function, and well-being among individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review

  Journal of Environmental Psychology · 2025-05-07 · 2 citations

  review1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• List of contributors

  Elsevier eBooks · 2025-01-01

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

• WITHDRAWN

  2025-07-02

  preprintOpen access

  U.S. schools are increasingly threatened by climate-related events such as extreme heat and air pollution, which adversely affect children's health and learning.Climate risks do not occur in isolation.Adverse exposures intersect with local school socioeconomic and physical conditions that shape susceptibility to risks.Yet, research on how climate risks intersect with school social and physical factors influencing susceptibility remains limited.This study assesses relationships between climate risk and school susceptibility factors across major U.S. Cities and pinpoints school clusters within cities most in need of climate intervention.We analyzed 4,754 public school parcels in 20 major U.S. cities using climate risk and susceptibility indices.Climate risk was defined by PM2.5, ozone levels, and extreme heat days (Heat Index>102F).School susceptibility included poverty rates (free/reduced lunch), impervious surface cover, and inverse greenspace availability (trees, grass, shrub) based on 1m land-use classifications.Spatial lag regression assessed risk-susceptibility associations, and HDBSCAN clustering identified school clusters with convergence of high risk and high susceptibility within cities. Risksusceptibility relationships varied by city.Significant positive associations were found in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, New York, and Riverside (.007 < < .105).These school districts serve nearly 5% of U.S. public-school students.HDBSCAN identified 582 schools with both high climate risk and high susceptibility.Climate vulnerability among U.S. urban schools is spatially uneven.Identifying schools with the highest combined risk and susceptibility provides a foundation for targeted interventions such as greening and HVAC upgrades to support resilience and protect student wellbeing.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Everyday and nearby natural environments

  Elsevier eBooks · 2025-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Correction: Rahai et al. Neighborhood Greenspace, Extreme Heat Exposure, and Sleep Quality over Time among a Nationally Representative Sample of American Children. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 1270

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2025-03-31

  erratumOpen access

  In the original publication [...].

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Dreaming and Doing: A conceptual model for assessing children’s competencies for emotional and hands-on engagement to support connection with nature

  Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning · 2025-12-04

  articleSenior author

  This paper introduces the Dreaming and Doing model, a practical framework to assess children’s competencies to engage with nature. The model distinguishes between two core dimensions: Dreaming, comprising emotional and reflective competencies (Feel, Connect, Amaze) and Doing, comprising practical and challenging competencies (Can, Dare, Accept). Developed with educators across four European countries, the model is visually intuitive and designed for direct application in outdoor education. Two age-specific assessment tools were created: an 18-item self-report test for older children (tested with a sample of children aged 9–12; N = 708, the Netherlands) and an adult-reported proxy version of similar length for younger children (tested with children aged 5-8; N = 80, from the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Portugal). Both tests showed good internal consistency and validity. The data reveal consistent child profiles, underscoring the value of distinguishing between emotional and hands-on engagement.

  PublisherDOI

• Neighborhood Greenspace, Extreme Heat Exposure, and Sleep Quality over Time among a Nationally Representative Sample of American Children

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2024-09-25 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  Children's sleep is essential for healthy development, yet over a third of children in the United States experience inadequate sleep. Environmental factors can influence sleep: greenspace exposure can promote better sleep, while heat exposure can disrupt sleep. As global climate change raises nighttime and daytime temperatures, greenspace may mitigate the negative effects of heat stress on sleep. We examined the direct effects of neighborhood greenspace and extreme heat exposure on sleep and the statistical interaction between greenspace and heat exposure on sleep outcomes among a nationally representative, four-year longitudinal sample of 8580 U.S. children ages 9-10 years at baseline. Hierarchical linear models incorporated a neighborhood greenspace measure: percent open park space within individual child census tracts, a measure of extreme neighborhood heat exposure during the summer months, and extensive individual and neighborhood-level covariates to test main and interaction effects on child sleep quality. Neighborhood open park space was related to better sleep quality, after controlling for covariates. Additionally, neighborhood extreme heat exposure was associated with worse sleep quality. A two-way interaction was found between neighborhood open park space and neighborhood heat exposure on sleep quality, suggesting open park space mitigated the negative effects of heat on sleep. The results indicate the potential contribution of open greenspace to improve child sleep and enhance resilience to extreme heat, which is an adverse outcome of climate change.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Charles Henderson

  Western Michigan University

  19 shared

• Beth M. Myers

  Society of American Archivists

  18 shared

• Lauren E. Todd

  Fairleigh Dickinson University

  14 shared

• Gretchen Ferenz

  Cornell University

  13 shared

• Cayla Taylor

  Youth Development

  12 shared

• Gary W. Evans

  Seattle University

  12 shared

• Kimberly A. Rollings

  12 shared

• Tong Bill Xu

  Cornell University

  12 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Psychology and Architecture

  University of Michigan

• Other, NIMH

  University of California, Irvine