When Alabama A&M University’s “25 Hack Street” Cybersecurity and AI team arrived for the national 1890 Cyber & AI Games, they were met with a surprise – one of their opponents was coached by an alumnus. Dr. Marvin L. Reid, Jr., who graduated from Alabama A&M in 1998 with a degree in agribusiness, now serves as Department Chair and Professor of Management Information Systems in the College of Business at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and also coaches the Central State University AI team.

“I’ve met the team, and I’m looking forward to learning more about them,” Reid said before the competition began. “Right now, I’m going to let them get focused on the competition and I’ve got to get my team together, but this evening during the reception I will really get to talk to them and tell them some of the things I used to do on The Hill.”

The Cincinnati, Ohio, native attended Alabama A&M from 1994 to 1998, where he played soccer under Coach Salah Yousif. “I loved it,” he recalled. “I was an original of Hopkins Hall. I remember the Greasy Spoon being on The Block. I remember my freshman year when the Greeks came out and crossed. I went to the Magic City Classic. I just loved it there.”

The competition, held in Washington, D.C., is part of the nationwide celebration of the Second Morrill Act of 1890, which expanded access for higher education for Black students by allowing Historically Black Colleges and Universities to receive federal funding and land-grant status. Teams from 19 land-grant HBCUs and the University of the District of Columbia competed in a capture the flag style contest. This year’s theme, “Agroterrorism,” highlighted growing threats to U.S. food systems and agriculture, challenging students in areas ranging from digital forensics and web security to real-world problem solving.

Although his career path eventually took him into business and information systems, Reid said AAMU played a foundational role in shaping his opportunities. “I went to A&M because it was an HBCU, plus they had a soccer team competing in Division I,” he said. “I wanted to play soccer. After A&M offered me a soccer scholarship and hearing about the University from some of my mentors, I knew I had to take it.”

Reid stays connected to AAMU through classmates and colleagues. “I try to get down there every blue moon,” he said. “I always try to make it down to the Magic City Classic, and I keep in touch with a lot of people on my LinkedIn page, so I’m very connected to the University.”

Reid says he can’t wait to return to campus to see how much it’s grown. “I’ve seen the Event Center on TV, but that’s it,” he explained. “The last time I visited the campus, they had just opened Foster, and the Elmore Building wasn’t even done. Even then I thought, ‘Why didn’t they do that when I was there?’”

Despite his love for Central State, where he has served as a professor and department chair for the past five years, Reid made clear where his heart lies. “The Central State mascot is a Marauder, and I love Central State. I can’t say anything bad about it and several family members are alumni,” he said. “But I’m still a Bulldog in my heart.”