Jamie D. Aten

Dr. Jamie D. Aten is a Professor and the Executive Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI) at Wheaton College, where he also holds the Blanchard Chair of Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership. His work bridges disaster psychology, humanitarian research, and faith-based responses to crises. A disaster survivor himself, he focuses on resilience, spirituality, and trauma recovery in disaster contexts.

Education:

• Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, Indiana State University (2005)
• M.Sc., Counseling Psychology, Indiana State University (2001)
• B.Sc., Psychology, Indiana State University (1999)

Research & Grants: Over $6 million in grant funding supports his research on spirituality, trauma, and disaster resilience. He leads the Religion/Spirituality and Psychology in Disasters Lab (RAPID Lab) and has advised organizations like FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security.

Awards & Recognition:

• FEMA Community Preparedness Champion Award (2016)
• Author of 7 academic books, including Disaster Ministry Handbook
• Keynote speaker at global conferences such as the GC2 Summit and Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Labs & Initiatives: Founded the HDI and Disaster Ministry Conference (DMC), fostering faith-based disaster preparedness and response.