Jamie D. Aten (Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Indiana State University) is the Founder and Co-Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute and Dr. Arthur P. Rech and Mrs. Jean May Rech Associate Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). Previously he served as the Assistant Director of the Katrina Research Center and as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Aten first became involved in disaster work after moving to South Mississippi just six days before Hurricane Katrina struck. Within a few weeks he became active in studying the relationship between religious/spiritual responses and mental health after the storm. Since that time, through various roles and capacities, he have been active in responses to a number of other disasters, including: Hurricanes Rita and Gustav; H1N1 pandemic; 2010 Mississippi Delta and 2011 Alabama Tuscaloosa Tornadoes; Civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, and Liberia; Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in Mississippi; and Japan Tsunami and Earthquake, and New Zealand and Haiti Earthquakes. Dr. Aten’s research interests include the psychology of religion/spirituality and disasters, disaster spiritual and emotional care, and faith-based relief and development. He has received over $2 million in external funding to study disasters, trauma, and faith issues around the globe. He is also the co-editor or author of 8 books (in print or press) and over 100 scholarly publications. His most recent books include Spiritually Oriented Psychotherapy for Trauma (APA Books) and Disaster Ministry Handbook (IVP). For his work he has been recognized with the American Psychological Association’s Division 36 (Society for Religion and Spirituality) Margaret Gorman Early Career Award and Mutual of America Merit Finalist Award.
