Dr. Yetunde A. Odugbesan-Omede, Ph.D. is an award-winning scholar, executive leader, and global strategist with over two decades of experience at the intersection of higher education, global affairs, and civic engagement. As a pracademic, she bridges the gap between rigorous academic scholarship and high-level executive practice, bringing a track record of institution-building, policy development, and cross-sector leadership to every role she serves. Her work is guided by a core conviction: that solving the most complex social, environmental, and governance challenges of our time requires building innovative ecosystems where civic life, scientific inquiry, and global engagement are not separate pursuits but deeply interconnected ones.

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Currently serving as an Executive Leader in Community and Civic Engagement and Professor of Global Affairs and Politics at Farmingdale State College (SUNY), Dr. Yetunde leads institution-wide initiatives that connect academic resources to community and global impact. She has pioneered a model of civic engagement that works across STEM fields, liberal arts, and professional disciplines, embedding civic literacy and global problem-solving frameworks throughout the academic curriculum. Her approach recognizes that the engineers, scientists, health professionals, and technologists of tomorrow must be equipped not only with technical expertise but with the civic competencies to apply that expertise to pressing social and environmental challenges. She has built signature programs including the Community Service Awards, FSC Day of Service, Civic Discourse and the Intellectual Square Initiative, Ramp Up the Vote Initiative, Civic Discourse Learning Labs, and the Faculty Community Engaged Grant, and oversees the Newman Civic Fellowship and SUNY Empire Service Corps, among others. Her office has been recognized as an award-winning model for civic engagement excellence, and Farmingdale State College was designated a Highly Engaged Campus by the All In Democracy Challenge under her leadership.

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Dr. Yetunde was selected to the Fulbright Specialist Roster under the U.S. Department of State, a competitive, peer-reviewed distinction recognizing expertise in higher education and global affairs. She served as a 2024-2025 Council on Foreign Relations Higher Education Ambassador. Her career spans the United Nations Population Fund, the New York City Mayor's Office for International Affairs, the New Jersey State Ethics Commission, and the Rutgers Institute for Anti-Corruption Studies. She was integral in creating the first undergraduate Public Service major in the United States at Rutgers University and co-developed the Executive Master of Public Administration Program. Throughout her career she has worked to build innovative academic and civic ecosystems that bring together government, industry, higher education, and community to address the global challenges that no single sector can solve alone.

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Her global footprint extends to Africa, where she has worked with government officials and heads of state on good governance, youth empowerment, and international education partnerships, including facilitating connections between South African and American universities. She has engaged directly with communities navigating the intersection of environmental degradation, social instability, and inadequate governance, understanding firsthand how civic education and cross-sector collaboration are essential tools for building more resilient and just societies. She was hosted by former heads of state to speak on governance, human capital development, and technological innovation, and met with former South African First Lady Winnie Mandela in support of cross-continental education partnerships.

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Dr. Yetunde is an Atlantik-Brücke Young Leader, a distinction awarded by one of the most prestigious transatlantic leadership organizations in the world. Founded in Germany and with membership drawn from the highest levels of government, business, academia, and civil society across Europe and the United States, Atlantik-Brücke selects Young Leaders who demonstrate exceptional promise in shaping the future of transatlantic relations. As a Young Leader, Dr. Yetunde engaged with senior European and American policymakers, deepening her expertise in international governance, diplomatic relations, and cross-cultural leadership, and advancing her vision for building innovative transatlantic ecosystems that connect higher education, science, and civic life to the global challenges that demand collaborative solutions.

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Dr. Yetunde received the 2024 New Jersey State Senate and General Assembly Joint Legislative Resolution for Excellence in Leadership and Professional Accomplishment. She was inducted into the Rutgers University African-American Hall of Fame, Class of 2021, and named to the Most Influential People of African Descent Top 100 Under 40 in Politics and Governance. She was recognized with the Forbes Africa Future Leadership and Policy Award in 2019 and holds the Harold and Reba Martin Fellowship from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, one of the nation's most distinguished centers for the study of American politics and government.

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She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Global Affairs from Rutgers University, a B.A. in Journalism and Media Studies from Rutgers, and a certification in U.S. Public Policy from Harvard University. She is a New Leaders Council Fellow and graduate of the United Nations Worldview Institute.

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Dr. Yetunde is the founder of Young Woman's Guide, an organization that has trained hundreds of young women in leadership across the United States, Nigeria, and South Africa. She is a four-time published author, Guardian Newspaper contributor, and internationally recognized speaker on governance, leadership, the intersection of civic engagement and global problem-solving, and the critical role that higher education plays in building a more just and sustainable world.