March 2, 2026
The University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information (SCI) is pleased to announce that Professor Ahmed Ibrahim, of the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems (DINS), has been named a recipient of the 2026 Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Awards.
Ibrahim will be recognized for his outstanding record of undergraduate teaching and the many contributions he has made to the quality of instruction for students in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Among his contributions to cybersecurity education at Pitt are receiving an alumni gift to fund a research assistant position in cybersecurity, securing internal funding to build a cyber range for students to simulate effective cybersecurity exercises, and promoting diversity in cybersecurity studies.
DINS Department Chair Professor Daqing He praised Ibrahim’s “full commitment to students’ learning experiences.” Ibrahim “would try his best to offer his guidance and help” to his students, with the aim of bestowing “firsthand knowledge about cybersecurity by doing things, by building and breaking things.” The professor placed “emphasis on experiential learning that [is] practical and job related;” “Students love this approach,” said Professor He.
Ibrahim will be honored by Mr. and Mrs. Bellet personally at the Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award reception in Oakland on Tuesday, April 7.
About the Award: Established in 1998 with a gift from Dietrich School alumnus David Bellet (A&S '67) and his wife Tina, and endowed in 2008 through the family's further generosity, this award annually recognizes excellent and inventive teaching in undergraduate studies in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Each fall, students and faculty are encouraged to submit faculty nominations to the associate dean for undergraduate studies. A committee reviews nominations, honorees are announced in the spring, and award recipients each receive a one-time cash prize of $10,000.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information (SCI), founded in 2017, is together transforming lives for a better digital future, from our community to the world. SCI builds on the results of more than a century of progress, preparing leaders for the accelerated world of next-level collaboration, inquiry, insights, and solutions in areas such as artificial intelligence, data, library and information sciences, computer science, machine learning, and beyond. Our community brings together learners of various disciplines based on a shared investment in innovation and technology.