Ileana Rotaru, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Habilitated Doctor at the West University of Timişoara, Romania, in the Faculty of Governance and Communication Studies. Her research focuses on trans-disciplinary communication sciences, with a particular emphasis on media pedagogy, digital literacy, and the social impact of new information technologies. She has published extensively on topics such as antigypsyism and online hate speech digital citizenship, internet effects on children and youth, and the evolution of media education. In addition to her academic career, Dr. Rotaru has served as a Senior Expert at the New Strategy Center (NSC) since 2020. In this role, she provides strategic expertise on disinformation and strategic communication in the Black Sea and Balkan regions, as well as societal and governmental resilience. Her work at NSC involves contributing to the center’s mission of enhancing security culture and providing expert analysis for decision-makers on hybrid threats and information warfare, strategic communication and societal and governmental resilience. Notably, she has contributed to developing innovative approaches to combatting fake news, such as a peer-to-peer educational model for fighting disinformation. Dr. Rotaru is a full member of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) and other professional national and international organizations.