LEXINGTON, Va. May 22, 2026 — 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.”

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE