Dr. Karim Elish

Full Professor | Fulbright Specialist
Department of Computer Science
Florida Polytechnic University

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Contact
BARC-2227, 4700 Research Way
Lakeland, FL 33805
Phone: +1 (863) 874-8646
Email: kelish at floridapoly.edu

Karim Elish

Short Bio

I am a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Florida Polytechnic University and Director of the NEXUS Research Lab, which focuses on secure, trustworthy, and intelligent software engineering through empirical and AI-driven research. At NEXUS, I have been fortunate to collaborate with and mentor students, including Fulbright scholars and graduate fellows.

Before joining Florida Poly, I held a faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Purdue University Fort Wayne. I am also a Fulbright Specialist, selected to the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Specialist Roster (2025–present). In 2018, I received the Florida Poly ABLAZE Award for Excellence in Teaching, recognizing exemplary pedagogical practices, teaching effectiveness, contributions to course and program development, and sustained efforts to foster students’ intellectual growth and critical thinking. I am a Senior Member of ACM and IEEE.

Director, NEXUS Lab Fulbright Specialist ABLAZE Award for Excellence in Teaching Senior Member ACM / IEEE

Education

Research Interests

Mobile Security Android Malware Detection Software Security Secure Code Analysis Software Analytics Software Metrics / Quality AI/ML for Security & Software Engineering

Publications

All my publications are available on my Google Scholar. Selected publications can be found here.

Research Group

I mentor student researchers through the NEXUS Research Lab. Meet our team →

Teaching

At Florida Polytechnic University, I teach a broad range of undergraduate and graduate courses spanning software engineering and cybersecurity. Over the years, I have designed and delivered courses that integrate hands-on practice, current technologies, and effective teaching methods. My teaching portfolio includes:

Undergraduate Courses

  • CEN 4033 Secure Software Engineering
  • CEN 4088 Software Security Testing
  • CIS 4369 Web Application Security
  • CEN 4010 Software Engineering
  • CEN 4065 Software Design and Architecture
  • COP 4656 Mobile Device Applications
  • CEN 3820 Systems Analysis and Design
  • COP 3710 Database I
  • COP 3330C Computer Programming 2
  • COP 4934 Senior Design 1 (Capstone I)
  • COP 4935 Senior Design 2 (Capstone II)

Graduate Courses and Thesis

  • CEN 5035 Advanced Software Engineering
  • COP 5727 Advanced Database Systems Design
  • CEN 5088 Advanced Software Security Testing
  • IDS 5970 Thesis 1
  • IDS 5975 Thesis 2

Selected Service

Professional Service

University Service — Florida Polytechnic University