Dr. Wickey Byrd is the Executive Director of the UCF Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. In this role, she advances all anti-trafficking efforts for the college and university. The Center aims to be the global center of excellence in gathering and disseminating information to the community at large. Education, research, and community engagement are the pillars of the center, to be a resource for all anti-trafficking activities.
Dr. Jessica Wickey Byrd is a double UCF alumnus, graduating with her master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management in 2013 and her doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2024. Her collegiate journey has been a lifelong dream. Dr. Wickey Byrd is a first-generation college student, and the first ever in her family to earn a doctoral degree.

Dr. Wickey Byrd has 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including restaurants, resorts, events, convention centers, non-profit fundraising, and live entertainment. As Director of the Internship Program, Dr. Wickey Byrd launched human trafficking education in the Summer of 2020, creating robust curriculum to enhance the student’s internship education. Since inception, she has collectively educated more than 6,700 students to be able to identify and report human trafficking in their workplaces within the hospitality and tourism industry.