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Sherif Abdelhamid, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences and team member of the Cyber Defense Lab at Virginia Military Institute, has been selected as a 2026-27 Nielsen Center fellow, a prestigious national fellowship awarded by the Nielsen Center for the Liberal Arts at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Nielsen fellows are chosen for their demonstrated strong commitment to teaching excellence and their potential to contribute meaningfully to national conversations about liberal arts education.
Founded in 2021, the Nielsen Center supports outstanding faculty at colleges across the United States through sustained interdisciplinary dialogue and collaborative exploration of teaching and learning. The year-long fellowship includes three seminar-based workshop sessions held at Eckerd College, focused on faculty self-understanding, pedagogical innovation, and interdisciplinary connection in small liberal arts college contexts.
Abdelhamid, whose goal is to create learning environments where students feel motivated to explore, collaborate, and think creatively, said he is grateful for the opportunity to engage with faculty from a wide range of disciplines and institutions.
“I hope to gain new perspectives on meaningful learning experiences and bring back ideas that support curiosity, engagement, and academic growth among our cadets.”
The Virginia Military Institute Cyber Defense Laboratory (CyDef) will host its annual CyberSmart workshop for middle school students, Monday, June 8 through Thursday, June 11, and for high school students, Monday June 15 through Thursday, June 18 in Marshall Hall on post. Hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day. No experience is required, but students must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to attend.
These workshops are offered at no cost to students and are sponsored by a grant from the Department of Defense. Each day will include team-based, hands-on projects, intriguing demonstrations and instruction, and mentoring from VMI cyber captains. Students will acquire knowledge of cybersecurity attacks and defense; develop skills to detect, identify, and mitigate attacks; and demonstrate the ability to analyze problems and build solutions.
Students will leave the program with a certificate of completion, as well as opportunities to be involved with future VMI CyDef events and projects. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided each day. Students do not need to bring their own computers or other devices, as laptops will be provided.
Registration is open until Friday, May 15, or until all spots are filled.
The Virginia Military Institute team won first place recently at the 2026 Seerist Intellithon in Reston, Virginia.
The prestigious competition hosted by Seerist — a company whose mission is to shape the future of risk intelligence by enabling organizations to proactively anticipate, manage, and respond to global cyber threats — brought together top talent from five senior military colleges including The Citadel, Norwich University, the University of North Georgia, Virginia Tech, as well as VMI, to solve real-world open-source intelligence and security challenges.
The cadet team, sponsored by Department of Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) and Cyber Defense Laboratory (CyDef), included Michael Kelley ’27, Caroline Marini ’26, River Smith ’27, and John Stotler ’27. Col. Imran Ghani, professor in CIS and director of operations for CyDef, was their coach.
Stotler shared it was an amazing experience. “We utilized tools and skills to collect intelligence and brief highly significant persons on real world activities that were frequently being updated.”
Ghani stated the VMI victory was built on preparation and discipline.
“To prepare for the competition, the cadets conducted multiple rounds of targeted practice using a preemptive, scenario-based approach, which ultimately aligned with the competition. Their commitment, ability to follow structured mentorship, and continuous skill refinement were key factors that led to this success.”
Virginia Military Institute has developed an experiential learning project called, “Students-Led Cyber Defense: Creating a Safer Digital Landscape for Local Businesses and Nonprofits in Rockbridge County,” in which VMI cadets serve as instructors, mentors, trainers, and support to nonprofits and small local organizations in Rockbridge County which have no information technology or cybersecurity team.
The initiative is designed to equip cadets with practical cybersecurity skills, bridging the gap between traditional classroom learning and real-world application, and positioning them for successful careers after graduation. The project is funded by a grant from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative.
According to Dr. Sherif Abdelhamid, assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, team member of the Cyber Defense Lab at VMI, and project principal investigator, the project began in January 2025.
“We spent last spring preparing the training material and learning modules, and an additional four months developing ‘Aegora,’ a web platform that hosts the material and service tools. Our first instructional class was with the Virginia Innovation Accelerator (VIA) in Buena Vista. Cadets conducted comprehensive cybersecurity threat assessments, advised on securing network systems, delivered cybersecurity training, and provided advisory support for integrating artificial intelligence to enhance daily workflows, marketing strategies, and data analysis while maintaining data integrity.”
Nickie Hawkins, director of VIA, attended the cadet-run class and found it invaluable. She was able to use what she learned the following week, when one of her workplace accounts had a password breach. “I was able to recognize the issue, communicate with my team, and apply the necessary interventions to protect our data and accounts. Having the confidence to move forward quickly reduced the potential impact of the breach and reduced the time spent on securing data,” said Hawkins.
One cadet on the team, James Bangura ’26, a computer science major with a track in cybersecurity, said the program has been one of the most meaningful hands-on experiences of his academic career.
“I have been involved in assessing digital vulnerabilities and helping develop practical security recommendations for local businesses and nonprofits in Rockbridge County. This project has been incredibly rewarding because it allows us to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges that directly impact our community. Working on this initiative has strengthened my technical skills, improved my ability to communicate complex security concepts to non-technical audiences, and reinforced my commitment to serving others through cybersecurity.”
In addition to Bangura, there are currently seven other cadets on the team including Benjamin Davis ’26, James Jeffers ’26, Gunnar Romsland ’26, Shahryar Shah ’26, Lucienne Ashmore ’27, Ian Coker ’27, and Katelyn Redlinger ’27. Abdelhamid stated there are plans to provide training to additional local businesses, and to apply for additional grants to extend the program.
Five Virginia Military Institute cadets, with Dr. Sherif Abdelhamid, assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences and outreach liaison officer for VMI’s Cyber Defense Laboratory, traveled to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to present research projects at the SoCon Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF), at Wofford College Oct. 24-25.
SURF brings together students from across the Southern Conference league’s member institutions to showcase their academic excellence.
Cadets who attended include Benjamin Davis ’26, who is double majoring in applied mathematics and computer science; Jackson Pelt ’26, a mechanical engineering major; Shahryar Shah ’26, a computer science major; Gracie Harlow ’27, who is double majoring in history and English; and Jeremiah Woods ’27, a history major.
Woods said SURF was a great opportunity to share his first research experience. His project titled, “African Americans at VMI: 1851-1865,” explores the contributions of the enslaved and free Black men and women who lived and worked in connection with the Institute during the years leading up to and throughout the Civil War.
“It highlights their lives, labor, and legacies, while reflecting on how their presence shaped the foundation of VMI and how their stories can be more fully recognized today,” he explained.
In her project titled, “Commemorating Service: Preserving Memory Through Archival Research at the American Battle Monuments Commission,” Harlow focuses on U.S. military personnel who died during the Normandy campaign in World War II, and the importance of preserving their stories. Last summer, she presented her research at the Normandy American Cemetery in France.
“I am extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to also present my research at SURF. The feedback from graders who evaluated the presentations, allowed me to move forward and broaden my views,” she said.
According to Abdelhamid, attending SURF was an invaluable experience for the cadets. “They not only showcased their research with confidence and professionalism, but also engaged deeply with peers and faculty from across the Southern Conference. SURF provided them with a meaningful platform to exchange ideas, receive constructive feedback, and see firsthand how their academic work connects to larger conversations in their disciplines.”
Virginia Military Institute’s cadet-athletes have to juggle cadet life, heavy academic course loads, and their NCAA Division I sport. Committed to both academic and athletic pursuits, balancing their rigorous schedule in both sports and school requires a certain level of commitment and discipline. Behind the Balance is a series that focuses on those cadet-athletes and how they handle the hurdles of the day-to-day.
Prestigious people attend Virginia Military Institute, claims Ben Hagerich ’26 — and he was determined to be one of them. That drive, along with the chance to run cross country and track, drew him to the Institute.
After being offered a scholarship, the computer science major attended an official visit and got to stay in barracks. He said it was an exciting night and got to see a lot of the inner workings of VMI.
Although coming in as a rat, he said his biggest critic was himself. He wasn’t hitting the times he thought he would while running. He said it was challenging, physically and mentally.
“As a rat I was, I was probably pretty scared to do a lot of things, whereas now there’s like no cowardice behind anything,” Hagerich admitted. “I would beat myself up a lot as a rat because I wasn’t performing the way I wanted to. It’s hard to expect yourself to do good. Something that’s changed is how I look at performance going to VMI. I’m going have to go through some tough stuff, so you have to be able to balance that with also being able to be an athlete.”
Cadet-athletes at VMI not only have their responsibilities with their selected sport but cadet duties on top of that. Cadets are also required to take physical fitness classes twice a week, participate in ROTC all four years, prepare for room and uniform inspections, practice for parade, guard duty, and more.
On top of his responsibilities with athletics, he is also the cadet in charge for the VMI Programming Club and a cyber captain.
“The number one thing for me when it comes to balancing all that is probably that I’m passionate about all of them, so I really enjoy them,” he explained. “It allows me to sort of cultivate my own schedule. I love doing all these things. I know programming club is always on Wednesday, so I’ll know I’ll be able to lead that and create a lesson for that. While also knowing I’ve got to perform in track or cross country over the weekend. I know I need to eat right on top of that. I take things one step at a time.”
As a mid-distance runner, he’s averaging about 35-40 miles a week. He got into running at the age of 8. He and his twin brother played baseball. While his twin stayed with baseball, Hagerich found more joy in running the bases.
“I think your teammates make it everything. It’s so much fun. Then the competitiveness … I love the feeling of crossing that line first and scoring points for my team. It makes it so much fun competing against the best people, and being able to say that you gave 100% in a race that lasts for cross country about 25 minutes, and on the track upwards of two minutes … it’s pretty crazy how all that is all tied together,” he said. “Giving your all every single time you step out there and you get one shot at it.”
He runs by leading by example for his teammates. He tends to be one of the stronger runners on the team, so he hopes he’s able to push others.
“I always think that everyone behind me … if I can be a good example for everyone ahead of me then I know my teammates behind me are going to be encouraged to either try to keep up with me, or know that if I’m pushing strong, then they can do it as well,” he said.
Although his days are long and he has a lot of responsibilities, he’s about to juggle it all knowing he has a strong support system around him. He also tends to go with the flow and not let the stresses of the everyday get to him.
“In high school over four years, I barely knew the other events. I barely knew the sprinters, the jumpers, hurdlers or the throwers,” he admitted. “When I was a rat, in the first four months, I knew basically everyone on the team, and everyone was buddy-buddy. I’d never seen something like that before. Seeing us all at the event groups, we were always rooting for each other. It was so cool to see that everyone was like an actual team and helping each other out. And whether that’s a college thing or a VMI thing, I’m not sure, but I love it.”
His hope after VMI is to secure a cybersecurity analyst role or go into network engineering with possibly the Department of Defense or another company that branches off the government. He is set to graduate in May.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere. From health care to finance, transportation, customer service, and manufacturing. Many people rely on AI without really realizing it for their smartphones and smart home devices. But is AI as reliable and accurate as humans in all cases? Jude Roberts ’25, a cadet at Virginia Military Institute, sought to find the answer in his honors presentation, “Assessing the Efficacy of an LLM for Resume Selection and Human Talent Management.”
Roberts, a computer science major from Cloverdale, Virginia, was introduced to AI research when he interned at the U.S. Army Cyber Command at Fort Eisenhower, Georgia, last summer. For his honors project, he conducted an experiment looking at business hiring processes using the AI program, ChatGPT, specifically the GPT-4o mini, a cost-efficient small model. He explained that people generally believe that time efficiency and lower costs are a huge upside to automation. “If a company doesn’t have to pay an employee to look through a lot of resumés, it frees their staff’s time to focus on more high-level strategic tasks. Sometimes ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs)—software designed to generate human-like, conversational language—provides completely nonsensical, out of context, or just wrong information, known as hallucinations, which is problematic.” Roberts continued to point out that because there is no human interaction to evaluate a potential employee’s interpersonal and character traits, AI may show a bias based solely on particular words appearing on a resumé. “Some of us very soon will be applying for our first jobs and we want a fair shot at the hiring process. What I’m examining here is whether AI is consistently capable of selecting the best applicants for jobs,” he explained.
Roberts took 1,000 resumés and instructed ChatGPT that it was taking on the role of a hiring manager, and it was to consider the applicants’ skills, experiences, and qualifications, and choose the applicant that best fills the job role. Categories included data science, arts, web design, and engineering. An additional category, not applicable (N/A), was designated for any resumé data that contained nonsensical or misleading information or that did not match any of the categories.
Roberts found that AI was less accurate and less reliable than a human hiring manager in finding the best candidate, and he determined that the LLM was vulnerable to malicious interference and bias propagation. “These are very concerning aspects for the reliability of these models, and administrators should be concerned about these issues when implementing this technology. Hiring managers should never solely rely on the technology to automate any portion of resumé screening.”
Sherif Abdelhamid, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences and outreach liaison officer for the Cyber Defense Laboratory, served as Roberts’ advisor on the project. Abdelhamid noted Roberts’ exceptional skills of problem solving, ability to work in a team, and analytical skills. “I see him as a unique, special student. He was able to independently identify the research problem and objectives, and came up with a unique design for his research. He carefully and critically studied how LLMs can impact our lives, and identified their benefits and drawbacks,” said Abdelhamid.
Roberts, who is minoring in applied mathematics and philosophy, is a graduate of Lord Botetourt High School in Daleville. He is the son of Kevin and Lori Roberts. Following graduation, he will commission into the U.S. Space Force where he hopes to do work in cybersecurity or electromagnetic warfare.
This article is part of The Next Step series. While the four years at VMI are designed for cadets to push themselves academically, physically, and mentally to tackle the demands of life at a premiere military college, they also prepare cadets for life after graduation. Whether that life be one in the military or one in the private sector, VMI faculty and staff provide guidance to cadets along their journeys. One department specifically dedicated to that endeavor of post-Institute success is the Office of Career Services. In The Next Step series, we highlight cadets preparing to enter the workforce after graduation, as well as those still in the midst of their cadetship preparing for internships over the summer.
Business and computer science were two industries that Warner Collier ’24 saw opportunity in. Coming to Virginia Military Institute, he wanted to cast as wide of a net as possible, which brought him to major in economics and business, with concentrations in decision analytics and financial analysis, along with computer science and cybersecurity minors.
“As I progressed through rat year, I knew I wanted to work in finance after joining the Cadet Investment Group,” he said. “I did more research on careers in finance and gravitated towards private equity.”
Hailing from Midlothian, Virginia, recent graduate Collier is now set to work for Civitas Growth Partners as an analyst.
“I will be involved in all aspects of the deal sourcing process,” he said. “This will include identifying and reaching out to potential investment opportunities. Also, I will analyze company financials, KPIs, build out financial models, and communicate key insights. Lastly, I will sit in on portfolio company board meetings and monitor the financial and operating performance of the portfolio companies.”
Coincidentally, Collier said this was the first job he applied for.
”I wanted to work for an organization which aligns with my moral values. For the same reason I chose VMI, I wanted to be a part of a firm which believes in doing things the right way,” he said.
Working for a small company like Civitas was what was most attractive to Collier. He said it would allow him to have more learning opportunities and contributions.
“I was drawn to private equity as I enjoy analyzing companies, figuring out what makes them work, and implementing strategies which yield real results,” he said.
He believes that having VMI on his resume aided him in landing this job.
“The number one reason Civitas hired me is because they know they can trust me. The foundation of VMI, honor, is the competitive edge I have over others,” he said.
VMI has taught him to be comfortable in the uncomfortable.
“VMI puts you in high stress situations which give you valuable tools that translate to the workplace. I’m confident in my abilities and work ethic due to VMI,” he said.
