Hannah Naughton

Hannah Naughton is an Assistant Professor of Soil Biogeochemistry at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research focuses on the interplay between soil chemistry, physical structure, and microbial activity, particularly in carbon and nitrogen cycling, with implications for greenhouse gas emissions and soil health. She teaches courses such as Agricultural Chemistry (STOCKSCH 117) and Introduction to Soil Science (STOCKSCH 105).

• Ph.D., Earth System Science, Stanford University, 2020
• M.S., Conservation Ecology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, 2014
• B.S., Chemistry & Biology, The College of William & Mary, 2012

Dr. Naughton's research centers on understanding how microscale variations in soil properties—such as moisture, redox potential, and nutrient availability—affect microbial community composition and function. Her work explores the development of anoxic microsites in upland soils, forest disturbance effects on carbon cycling, and soil health outcomes from cover cropping. She investigates how thermodynamic and kinetic constraints govern microbial metabolism and carbon decomposition pathways in diverse ecosystems, from floodplains to agricultural fields.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trend in soil biogeochemistry, particularly focusing on redox heterogeneity, microbial metabolic constraints, iron and sulfur cycling, and the role of soil structure in greenhouse gas dynamics. Key themes include the impact of anoxic microsites on carbon storage and emissions, microbial preference for organic matter under varying redox conditions, and the chemical mechanisms driving nutrient transformations in soils.

Her scientific awards include:

• NSF Division of Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Certificate of Achievement in Mentoring
• Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Northern California Chapter
• McGee & Levorsen Research Grant
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

Dr. Naughton has mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students through programs such as SPUR, Stanford Earth Summer Research, and Ignited Fellowships. She has received grant support from the NSF and DOE, and her research is disseminated through high-impact journals and presentations at major conferences like AGU and SSSA. She is actively involved in scientific leadership, having convened sessions at AGU and participated in professional development programs at Lawrence Berkeley Lab.

She leads the Soil Biogeochemistry Lab at UMass Amherst, where her team investigates the connection between plants, microbes, water, and earth. The lab combines field studies, laboratory experiments, and modeling to understand biogeochemical processes across scales—from pore-level redox dynamics to ecosystem-level nutrient cycling.