Jamie Aten

Aten is the Founder and Co-Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute and holds the Blanchard Chair of Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership at Wheaton College. He also founded the Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership MA Program, a national disaster and humanitarian conference, and recently co-founded a new Graduate Certificate in Trauma.

A survivor of both Hurricane Katrina and stage IV early-onset cancer (now five years with no evidence of disease), Aten brings deeply personal experience to his work. He moved to South Mississippi to teach at a large research university just six days before Hurricane Katrina struck and has since dedicated his career to studying disasters around the globe. Six years ago, he faced his own year-long personal disaster while battling cancer—an experience that profoundly shaped his understanding of how people endure and lead in the wake of catastrophe.

His research focuses on living and leading through times of crisis. Through his writing, he shares insights on cultivating resilience and flourishing amid adversity, addressing topics such as leadership, disasters, cancer, and resilience.

Aten has been awarded more than $6 million in external funding for research and programs designed to help others build resilience during mass disasters and humanitarian crises. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, delivered more than 200 conference presentations, and is the coeditor or author of seven books. His contributions have been recognized with several honors, including the American Psychological Association Early Career Award and the 2016 FEMA Community Preparedness Champion Award, presented at the White House.

His expertise has been cited and featured in numerous media outlets, including The Washington Post, USA Today, and Religion News Service. He has also written widely for general audiences, contributing more than 100 bylined articles to publications such as TIME, The Washington Post, and Psychology Today.