Bethany Backes is a nationally recognized expert on violence against women and system-level responses to interpersonal violence. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida and Director of the interdisciplinary Violence Against Women Faculty Cluster, where she leads collaborative research, training, and community partnerships.

With more than 25 years of experience across research, policy, and practice, her work advances survivor-centered, community-engaged approaches to violence prevention and intervention. Her scholarship focuses on victim help-seeking, multidisciplinary responses, and the development and evaluation of interventions to improve survivor safety and well-being.

Backes has secured over $9 million in external funding, including federal, state, and foundation support from the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Arnold Ventures, the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation, and the Moody Foundation. She has served as Principal Investigator on a $1 million Department of Justice–funded longitudinal study on domestic violence transitional housing and as Co-Principal Investigator on a multi-million dollar Arnold Ventures grant examining domestic violence lethality during the pretrial period.

Prior to academia, she spent a decade at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), where she led the Violence Against Women research portfolio and advanced national researcher–practitioner partnerships. She is the recipient of UCF’s Reach for the Stars Award and the Zonta International Spirit Award, and serves on the editorial boards of Violence Against Women and the Journal of Family Violence. Backes is also a dedicated mentor to students and trainees across all levels.