lˈɛðɜːmən ˈɜːnd hɪz pˌiːˈeɪtʃ.dˈiː. ɪn ɛnvˌaɪɹənmˈɛntəl kˈoʊstəl sˈaɪənsᵻz fɹʌmðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv vɜːdʒˈɪniə ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti sˈɪks ænd ɐ bˈiː.ˈɛs. dᵻɡɹˈiː ɪn dʒˌiːoʊsˈaɪənsᵻz fɹʌm nˈɔːɹθ kˌæɹəlˈaɪnə stˈeɪt jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti.
Leatherman earned his Ph.D. in environmental (coastal) sciences from the University of Virginia in 1976 and a B.S. degree in geosciences from North Carolina State University in 1970.