Leidy Klotz's scholarship merging engineering and social science for a more sustainable and resilient built environment has been consistently funded, including through an NSF CAREER award and one of the first awards through NSFs interdisciplinary INSPIRE program. He also played a lead role in programs, funded by grants from NSF and the Department of Education, that support cohorts of graduate students on interdisciplinary research in a more resilient and sustainable built environment. Since 2012, he has advised 11 PhD graduates (10 from groups underrepresented in engineering), and eight graduates of his research team have secured faculty positions.

Leidy has twice been selected by students as top teacher in his department and twice been recognized for individual mentoring of top undergraduates.

Before becoming an academic, Leidy worked managing the design and construction of building projects in New Jersey. Prior to that, he played professional soccer for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.