Dr. Ed Pearson III, a native of Greene County, Alabama, is an Assistant Professor at Alabama A&M University (AAMU) in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Physical Sciences (CETPS). He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from AAMU and his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University. Recently, Dr. Pearson was appointed Associate Dean for Student Success in the CETPS.

In addition to his role as Associate Dean, Dr. Pearson is the director of the Cybersecurity Outreach, Research, and Education (CORE) Lab at AAMU. He also serves as the Executive President of the HBCU Data Science Consortium. His research focuses on the intersection of cyber/information security, and human-computer interaction, with an emphasis on social engineering and phishing attacks. Dr. Pearson’s additional research interests include data science, software engineering, and STEM education.