Nicholas R. Patton

Nicholas R. Patton serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Idaho State University, specializing in Geomorphology, Soil Science, and Quaternary Geology. His research examines biotic-abiotic interactions driving climate, landscape, and ecosystem evolution across temporal and spatial scales.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in Geology (2020-2022) from University of Canterbury (New Zealand), focusing on landscape evolution, paleoclimate, GIS, and geochronology. Thesis: "Landscape evolution of the south east Queensland dunefields" with advisers Dr. Jamie Shulmeister, Dr. Peter Almond, Dr. Tim Stahl, and Dr. Tammy Rittenour.
• Transferred PhD studies (2018-2020) at University of Queensland, Australia, concentrating on paleoclimate, stable isotopes, and biogeochemistry. Thesis: "Reconstructing climate variability in sub-tropical Australia".
• Masters of Science in Geology (2014-2016) from Idaho State University, emphasizing soil science and spatial statistics. Thesis: "Modelling thickness of mobile regolith and soil nutrient stocks".
• Bachelors of Science in Chemistry and Geology (2010-2013) from California University of Pennsylvania, with research in hydrology and aqueous chemistry.

Patton's current work centers on two major initiatives: (1) An NSF-funded Critical Zone Network Geomicrobiology Project analyzing mineral-microbial organic matter interactions to assess carbon residence times under climate/land-use change, and (2) Commercial development of a patented soil thickness and nutrient stock modeling system with applications in agriculture, carbon accreditation, and green energy infrastructure. His interdisciplinary approach bridges geology, ecology, and environmental chemistry through collaborations with British Geological Survey, ANSTO, Desert Research Institute, USDA, and multiple Critical Zone Observatories.

As an advocate for science communication, Patton leverages his multifaceted research background to promote science literacy, particularly through outreach connecting academic findings to commercial and environmental applications in watershed management and landscape evolution.