LEXINGTON, Va. March 18, 2025 — Sherif Abdelhamid, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) and outreach liaison officer for the Cyber Defense Laboratory at Virginia Military Institute, and two cadets, Benjamin Davis ’26 and Dang Khoa Le ’25, shared their research project findings recently at the 15th Annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where they earned the Best Paper Award in the Sensor Networks and Embedded Systems category.  

According to Abdelhamid, the paper titled, “GPT-4 Meets TF-IDF: A Hybrid Approach for Detecting Spam Emails Using Machine Learning,” explains how the project takes a novel approach in using large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP) techniques to detect spam and phishing emails. “The platform was able to reach 99% accuracy in detecting unsolicited and fraudulent emails,” he explained. 

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 in 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.” 

The project is funded by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative and involves collaboration between VMI and George Mason University. 

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE