Program Director
Bethune Cookman University Criminal Justice Administration Graduate Program
Dr. Randy B. Nelson currently serves as the Program Director for the Bethune Cookman University Criminal Justice Administration Graduate Program. Dr. Nelson’s educational background includes a B.A. degree in Sociology from Eckerd College, a M.A. degree in Criminology from the University of South Florida, and Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Florida State University. His academic and professional career has focused on developing and evaluating delinquency prevention methodologies designed to address the problems negatively impacting disadvantaged communities. Dr. Nelson has an extensive history of working with non-profit faith- and community-based social service organizations to develop and effectively achieve their programmatic and outcome goals. Dr. Nelson is the Founder of the Situational Environmental Circumstances (SEC) Mentoring Model which was designed to meet the unique educational, social, emotional needs of high-risk Black males. The SEC Mentoring Program has been implemented at each of Florida’s Historically Black Colleges & Universities, as well as Florida State University, University of Florida, and the University of Central Florida. Dr. Nelson has presented at various state and national conferences on effective engagement strategies for young Black males and authored numerous reports and publications on the disproportionate representation of minority youth in Florida’s juvenile justice system. Dr. Nelson has also served as an adjunct faculty member at Florida A & M University and Florida State University where he was responsible for the instruction and evaluation of undergraduate and graduate criminal justice students. His work experience includes employment with the Florida Departments of Corrections and Juvenile Justice. Dr. Nelson is a nationally recognized law enforcement trainer in the areas of community policing and engagement strategies.