Dr. Kideste Mariam Yusef is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and the Department Chair for the undergraduate Criminal Justice and Master's in Criminal Justice Administration programs at Bethune-Cookman University. As the Director of the B-CU Center for Law and Social Justice, she is actively engaged in advancing racial, social, and gender equity through education, civic engagement, research, scholarship, and advocacy. Her areas of expertise include community-police relations, police accountability and use of force, race and social justice, and performance management. Dr. Yusef utilizes mixed methods to research structural violence within criminal and juvenile justice systems to include the impact of race-based policing on fear, perceived legitimacy, and public encounters with police. She is a thought leader with decades of experience working with police departments and residents to enhance collective efficacy, strengthen community-police relations, and improve public safety in vulnerable communities. Dr. Yusef leads the “I Fear for My Life (IFFML)” Initiative on behalf on the 400 Years of African American History Federal Commission, which establishes a national dialogue between African American youth and college students and police officers across the country toward identifying strategies that build trust and create greater equity in policing. Dr. Yusef is the recipient of several awards including Presidential Gold Volunteer Service Award from The White House, NBA Orlando Magic Social Justice Game Changer Award, NABCJ Presidential Award, Dean’s Award for Excellence, Dillard University Center of Racial Justice Award, and a member of Forbes Black. Dr. Yusef has twenty years of collegiate teaching experience including instruction in Criminal Justice, Sociology, and African American/African Studies. She is a frequent presenter at national, regional, and university conferences, and has facilitated/co-facilitated forums and training workshops on behalf of the Trinidad & Tobago Prison Service, numerous police agencies throughout Florida, Orange County Government, Hillsborough County Government, the City of Orlando, American Federation of Government Employees, the Orlando Magic, and the Jacksonville Jaguars sports organizations. Dr. Yusef has been featured on the National Justice Sunday broadcast, NPR, The Miami Herald, The National Desk, St. Louis Dispatch, Orlando Times, CBS News, Tampa Bay News, and other outlets.