Stephen M. Strader

Stephen M. Strader is an Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment at Villanova University, serving as Graduate Program Director. He holds a Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University (2016) and specializes in hazards geography, atmospheric science, and GIS applications. His research focuses on severe weather vulnerability, climate change impacts, and disaster risk reduction, with emphasis on tornado exposure, mobile home safety, and urban sprawl effects. He has led grants addressing tornado sheltering behaviors and severe weather communication, and co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles. Strader’s work bridges physical and social sciences to enhance community resilience against natural hazards.

• Education: Ph.D. & M.S. in Geography (Northern Illinois University), B.S. in Geography (Indiana University)
• Affiliations: American Meteorological Society, Association of American Geographers

Research highlights include the 'Expanding Bull's Eye Effect'—explaining how population growth amplifies disaster risks—and studies on tornado impacts in mobile home communities. He actively engages with media to communicate climate and disaster science, including op-eds in The New York Times and CNN.