Dr. Wells’ graduate education was in Crop Physiology. Dr. Wells spent six years as a Cotton Physiologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service prior to coming to NC State in 1987. Research interests presently include three crops, cotton, soybean, and peanut in such areas as photosynthesis, light relationships of plant canopies, heat tolerance, plant spatial relationships in different row widths /plant populations, and physiological problems associated with Roundup Ready trait in cotton.

Dr. Wells teaches CS 714 – Crop Physiology: Plant Response to Environment, a graduate level course delving into the physiology of crop plants and their interaction with the environment. Dr Wells also teaches CS 411 – Crop Ecology.

He serves as major advisor to graduate students and serves on a number of graduate advisory committees.