VMI Wins Top Paper Awards at IEEE Conference

VMI professors and cadets won two Best Paper Awards at the 15th Annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in January 2025.

Sherif Abdelhamid, Ph.D., VMI Department of Computer and Information Sciences assistant professor and Cyber Defense Laboratory outreach liaison officer, and Cadets Benjamin Davis ’26 and Dang Khoa Le ’25 earned a Best Paper Award in the Sensor Networks and Embedded Systems category at the conference. According to Abdelhamid, the paper titled, “GPT-4 Meets TF-IDF: A Hybrid Approach for Detecting Spam Emails Using Machine Learning,” explains how their project takes a novel approach in using large language models like ChatGPT, machine learning, and natural language processing techniques to detect spam and phishing emails. “The platform was able to reach 99% accuracy in detecting unsolicited and fraudulent emails,” he explained. The project is funded by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative and involves collaboration between VMI and George Mason University.

Cadets Benjamin Davis ’26 and Dang Khoa Le ’25 and Sherif Abdelhamid, Ph.D., display their Best Paper Award at the 15th IEEE Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference.—Photo courtesy Abdelhamid.

Davis, who is double majoring in applied mathematics and computer science, found the research project exciting. “This paper means a lot to me. Dr. Abdelhamid provided cadet Le and me not only with an opportunity to learn about what LLMs and NLP techniques are, but also how to use them, and for that I am deeply grateful,” he said.

Le, a computer science major from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, stated it was an honor to have their research recognized with the Best Paper Award and hopes their work inspires further innovation. “I think this achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of our team. We had a great chance of conducting cybersecurity research to address real-world challenges.”

Mohamed Azab, Ph.D., VMI Department of CIS associate professor, and Efat Fathalla, Ph.D., VMI Department of ECE assistant professor, along with Cadets Sean Harvey ’27 and Michael Jorgensen ’27, earned a Best Paper Award for their paper, “Towards a Quantum-Resistant HashBlock Signature Scheme for Secure IoT Application” in the Cryptography & Applied Mathematics category. In addition, Harvey and Jorgensen, who presented the paper, won the Best Presentation Award in the Security, Trust, & Privacy session.

According to Azab, the paper focuses on strengthening online security for the future. “Many current digital security systems rely on encryption methods that could become vulnerable if powerful quantum computers are fully developed. We designed a new type of digital signature—similar to a unique stamp or fingerprint for online transactions—that is resistant to these future threats. This is particularly crucial for securing Internet of Things devices, such as security cameras, smartwatches, and medical sensors, which connect to the internet. Our solution helps ensure that data shared through these devices remains safe and private, even in the face of future cybersecurity challenges,” explained Azab.

Harvey, an ECE major from Ashburn, Virginia, was glad for the opportunity to attend and present at the conference. “It was great to meet professors and industry professionals from all over the world. Being recognized in the way we were was wonderful, and Michael [Jorgensen] and I could not have achieved our success without the help of our professors and mentors, Dr. Fathalla and Dr. Azab,” he shared.

Jorgensen, an ECE major from Roanoke, Virginia, echoed Harvey’s sentiments regarding Fathalla and Azab. “We could not have done this without the help from our mentors. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to present my work, and I am beyond proud of the results. This was an amazing experience and very rewarding.”