"My research takes me to beaches around the country and to many parts of the world. Although throughout my career my academic focus has been to study beach erosion and storm impacts, I often find myself helping travelers select suitable beach destinations to plan the ideal beach vacation."

-Dr. Beach (Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman)

Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman is Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental (Coastal) Sciences from the University of Virginia, and completed his undergraduate degree in Geosciences at North Carolina State University.
 

Prior to joining FIU, Stephen was Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at the University of Maryland; Director of the National Park Research Unit at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at Boston University.

Stephen has authored or edited 16 books, including Sea Level Rise: Causes and Consequences; Barrier Island Handbook; Overwash Processes; Cape Cod: From Glaciers to Beaches; and America's Best Beaches. He has also authored over 200 journal articles and technical reports, including articles in both Science and Nature.

Stephen has provided expert testimony multiple times for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. He was also the on-screen host and co-producer of the 1992 film "Vanishing Lands", winner of three international film awards, including the Golden Eagle.