People: Faculty / Staff Directory

Stephen P. Leatherman Chair Professor and Co-Director Laboratory for Coastal Research International Hurricane Research Center PhD, University of Virginia, 1976 Leatherm@fiu.edu, 305-348-8364

Dr. Leatherman's major research focus is storm impacts on coastal areas. He served for many years on the National Academy of Science Post-Storm Disaster Field Team that was dispatched from Washington, DC to survey hurricane damage and thus has considerable first-hand experience with these disasters. Dr. Leatherman has authored or edited 15 books and authored more than 200 refereed journal articles and technical reports. He has provided expert testimony to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives committees ten times on important science policy issues, especially coastal storm impacts and federal response. Dr. Leatherman has given hundreds of invited talks at professional conferences and public workshops; his research has also been widely reported on television programs and in newspapers.

Since 1997, Dr. Leatherman has been the Director of the International Hurricane Research Center as well as the Director for the Laboratory of Costal Research, which is one of the four laboratories at IHRC.

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Environmental (Coastal) Sciences, University of Virginia, 1976
B.S., Geosciences, North Carolina State University, 1970

PUBLICATIONS

16 books authored or edited; new book Hurricanes in progress as commissioned by publisher.

Over 200 refereed journal articles and technical reports authored, including articles in both Science and Nature.

SELECTED RECENT JOURNAL ARTICLES

Leatherman, S.P., Gan Chowdhury, A., Robertson, C.J., 2007, “Wall of Wind Full-Scale, Destructive Testing of Coastal Houses and Hurricane Damage Mitigation,” Journal of Coastal Research, V. 23, p. 1211-1217.

Gan Chowdhury, A., Leatherman, S.P., 2007, “Innovative Testing Facility to Mitigate Hurricane-Induced Losses,” EOS Transactions American Geophysical Union, V. 88, p. 262.

Kates, R.W., C.E. Colton, S. Laska, and S.P. Leatherman, 2006, Reconstruction of New Orleans Following Hurricane Katrina: A Research Perspective, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, V. 103, pp. 14653-14660.

Leatherman, S.P., 2006, Hurricane Katrina: Implications for Building and Living in Harm’s Way, Water Resources Impact, Vol. 8, p. 6-10.

Leatherman, S.P. and G. White, 2005, The Coastal Collision Course, Natural Hazards Observer, Vol. 30, p. 5-6.

Leatherman, S.P., D. Whitman, and K. Zhang, 2005, Airborne Laser Terrain Mapping and Light Detection and Ranging, Encyclopedia of Coastal Science, Springer.

RESEARCH GRANTS AND CONTRACTS

Principal Investigator, Hurricane Loss Reduction for Housing in Florida, Florida Department of Emergency Management (2003-2010).

Principal Investigator, Coastal Storms & Process Research, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (2004-2010).

Principal Investigator, SUS Florida Hurricane Alliance Research Program, NOAA-National Weather Service (2004-2009).

ABBREVIATED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Who’s Who in America, 2007

Review Coordinator for the National Academy of Sciences & Engineering of the $19.7 million report on the New Orleans Flood Disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Author of the draft National Act and convener of national workshop that lead to the passage of the National Windstorm Hazard Reduction Act in November 2004.

Expert testimony for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives (10 times).

Member, Roundtable on Natural Disasters, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC (2000-2003).

Editorial Board, Natural Hazards and Journal of Coastal Research (1995-Present).

40 People to Watch in South Florida, Miami Herald newspaper, December 12, 1999.

Chair, National Panel to Evaluate Coastal Erosion Hazards and the National Flood Insurance Program for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as mandated by the U.S. Congress, H. John Heinz III Center, Washington, DC, 1998-2000.

On-screen host and co-producer, "Vanishing Lands" film, 1992, winner of three international film awards, including the Golden Eagle.

Field Team Member, Committee on Natural Disasters, National Academy of Sciences, Natural Resource Council, Washington, DC—field deployments for post-hurricane impact analysis (1984-1991).

Fellow, American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Geological Society of America (GSA).

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Over 100 speeches at national and international scientific conferences including Antigua, Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Micronesia, Netherlands, Norway, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Venezuela and Wales.

Over 200 public presentations including talks at Meadow Club, Southampton, NY; Chappaquiddick Beach Club, Martha's Vineyard, MA; Ocean Beach Erosion Workshop, San Francisco, CA; Shores and Beaches Workshop, Palm Beach, FL; American Bar Association National Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii.