About Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman


Stephen P. Leatherman is recognized as one of the nation's foremost authorities on beach quality and ratings. Known throughout the United States as "Dr. Beach," he has gained international renown for his annual list of Top 10 Beaches in America, which he has released since 1991.

Dr. Leatherman is a professor of environmental studies at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami and serves as the director of FIU's Laboratory for Coastal Research. In 1998, he released his twelfth book, America's Best Beaches, describing and depicting many of the nation's finest beaches regionally and by category (e.g., best swimming and best walking beaches). He also has written more than 200 journal articles and scholarly reports.

In addition to providing expert testimony on beach conditions before U.S. Congressional committees, Dr. Leatherman has made numerous speeches at national and international scientific conferences, and has given more than 100 public presentations at professional workshops and conferences. In 1992, he served as host and co-producer of Vanishing Lands, a film that won three international awards, including the prestigious Golden Eagle.

Dr. Leatherman joined the academic staff of Florida International University in 1997. He previously taught at the University of Massachusetts and University of Maryland. A 1970 graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in geosciences, he received his doctoral in environmental (coastal) sciences from the University of Virginia in 1976.

Our research has been supported by the following agencies and foundations:

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • Federal Emergncy Management Agency (FEMA)
  • Sea Grant Program
  • The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
  • The W. Alton Jones Foundation

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

Director
International Hurricane Research Center &
Laboratory for Coastal Research
Florida International University
Miami, FL  33199
          August 1997 - present
 

Professor
Department of Environmental Studies
Florida International University
Miami, FL 33199
          August 1997- present
 

Director
Laboratory for Coastal Research
          May 1985 - August 1997
 

Professor
          August 1991- Present
 

Associate Professor
          August 1983 - 1991
 

Assistant Professor
          August 1981- August 1983
 

Department of Geography & Marine Sciences Program
University of Maryland
College Park, MD  20742
 

Director
National Park Service Research Unit
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA  01003
          August 1976 - August 1981
  Assistant Professor
Department of Geology
Boston University
Boston, MA  02215
          September 1975 - August 1977

AWARDS AND HONORS

  Top 15 Research Professor Award, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 2000
  40 People to Watch in South Florida, Miami Herald Newspaper, December 12, 1999
  Top Research Professor Award, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 1998
  Top Twenty Five Outstanding Individuals at FIU, Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, FL, October 1, 1997
  Invited Participant, Inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame Ball, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 1995
  Presidential Honoree, Colonade Society, University of Maryland, College Park, 1993
  First Prize for Science, Ekofilm Festival, Czech Republic, for Vanishing Lands film, 1993
  Golden Azor for Vanishing Lands film, 1993
  Golden Eagle for Vanishing Lands documentary by CINE, 1992.
  Finalist, John and Cynthia Mitchell International Prize, Woodlands, Texas, 1989
  American Men and Women of Science, 1989
  Dictionary of International Biography, 1987
  Who's Who in the World, 1986-1987
  Certificate for Outstanding Accomplishments, Annual Honors Convocation, University of Maryland, College Park, April 10, 1985
  Who's Who in Frontiers of Science and Technology, 1985
  Men of Achievement, International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England, 1985
  Who's Who in the East, 20th Edition, 1984-1985
  Outstanding Young Men of America, 1984
  Personalities of the South, 1983
  Blue Key and Golden Chain Honorary Societies, N.C. State University, 1970
  Texaco Scholarship, 1969-1970

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

  Member, Roundtable on Natural Disasters, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, 2000-present.
  Nominator for Fellowship, Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation, New England Aquarium, Boston, MA, 2000-present.
  Member, Board of Directors, Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center, Key Biscayne, FL, 2000-present.
  Member, Committee on Global Change Research, Board on Sustainable Development, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, 1999-present.
  Invited Participant, The Weather Channel Forum on Hurricane Preparedness and Response, Washington, DC, June 6-7, 2000.
  Chair, National Panel to Evaluate Coastal Erosion Hazards for the Federal Emergency Management Agency as mandated by the U.S. Congress, H. John Heinz III Center, Washington, DC, 1998-2000.   
  Editorial Board, Natural Hazards, 1998-present.
  Member, Technical Advisory Committee, Insurance Friends of the National Hurricane Center, 1997 - Present.   
  Editorial Board, Journal of Coastal Research, 1995-Present.
  Editorial Board, Shore and Beach, 1989-Present.        
  Board Member, The Climate Institute, Washington, D.C., 1987-Present; Chairman of the Board, 1987-1990; Co-Chairman, 1990-Present.
  Leader, U.S. Congressional Staffers (Natural Hazards) Field Trip to the Chesapeake Bay, December 3, 1996.
  Expert Testimony, U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, November 20, 1996.
  Member, Advisory Board, Cove Point Environmental Trust, Maryland 1995-1997.
  Expert Testimony to President Clinton's Council on Sustainable Development, Washington, D.C., April 19, 1994.
  Expert Testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance, Washington, D.C., April 14, 1994.
  Elected Secretary, Sigma Xi, University of Maryland Chapter, 1992; Vice President, 1993; President, 1994.
  Expert Testimony to U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs, Washington, D.C., June 24, 1993.
  Expert Testimony to U.S. Senate Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs, Washington, D.C., July 27, 1992.
  On-screen host and co-producer, "Vanishing Lands" documentary film, 1992.
  Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1991-present.
  Expert Testimony, U.S. House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Policy
  Research and Insurance, Washington, D.C., July 13, 1990.
  Member, National Commission on Research and Resource Management Policy in the National Park System, National Parks and Conservation Association Report to the U.S. Congress, 1988-1989.
  Expert Testimony to U.S. Senate Committee on Insular Affairs, Washington, D.C., October 1989.
  Visiting Professor, Peking University, Beijing, China, May-June, 1989.
  Member, Water Science and Technology Board Committee on Coastal Erosion Zone Management, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, 1988-1990.
  Expert Testimony to U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C., July 13, 1988.
  Elected Member, Nominating Committee for Electorate E, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1986-Present;  Chairman, 1989-1990.
  Invited Speaker, Goddard Scientific Colloquium, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,  MD, October 24, 1986.
  Expert Testimony to U.S.  Senate  Committee on Public Works and Environmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C., June 10, 1986.
  Chairman, Coastal Geomorphology/Engineering Specialty Group, Assateague Island Erosion Workshop, National Park Service, Berlin, MD, March 1986.
  Editorial Board, CERF Bulletin, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 1985-1988.
  Distinguished Lectureship Tour, Partners of Americas, Rio de Janerio, Brazil and Mar del Plata, Argentina, November, 1985.
  Consultant, Glamorgan Heritage Coast Project, United Kingdom, 1985-1990.
  Corresponding Member, International Geologic Correlation Program, UNESCO, 1985-1989.
  Member, Marine Board Committee on Engineering Implications of Changes in Relative Sea Level, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences and Engineering, Washington, D.C., 1984-1987.
  Fellow, Geological Society of America, 1984-Present.
  Field Team Member of Committee on Natural Disasters, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1984-1992. 
  Invited Participant, National Assessment of Effects of Accelerated Carbon Dioxide Loading in the Atmosphere, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., 1983.
  Panelist, Task Force on Barrier Islands, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 1980-1981  (Preparation of technical information for U.S. Coastal Barrier   Resources Act of 1983).
  Member, Expert Panel for Selection of Criteria for Coastal Biospheres (MAB) UNESCO, University of Virginia, August 1980.
  Invited Participant, "Corps of Engineers' Nationwide Assessment of Barrier Island Dynamics and Development Practices," Coastal Engineering Research Center, Fort Belvoir, VA, November 1979.
  Scientific Adviser, Earthwatch Scientific Expeditions, 1976-1979.
  Elected Office, Society of Sedimentary Geologists Vice-President, SEPM-Eastern Section (1978-1979) President, SEPM-Eastern Section (1979-1980).

MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

  American Association for Advancement of Science (Fellow)
  American Geophysical Union
  American Shore & Beach Preservation Association
  American Society of Civil Engineers
  Geological Society of America (Fellow)
  International Geographical Union, Commission on Coastal Environments
  Society of Sigma Xi

About the Laboratory for Coastal Research

About Florida International University

As one of America's foremost beach experts, Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman has authored 16 books and published over 200 scholarly articles. His bibliography is now online.

 
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