Jessica Wickey Byrd

Jessica Wickey Byrd, EdD, is executive director of the UCF Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery and a double alumna of the University of Central Florida, where she earned a master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management and a doctorate in educational leadership. With more than 25 years of hospitality industry experience and over a decade in academia, she brings an interdisciplinary perspective to human trafficking prevention, education, research, and community engagement. Her work focuses on innovative anti-trafficking education, immersive simulation training, technology-driven prevention, and collaboration across hospitality, health care, law enforcement, and survivor-serving organizations. When she isn’t working to change the world, Wickey Byrd loves traveling and seeking new adventures, spending time with the people she loves, laughing as often as possible, and enjoying life with her beloved dog.