Cotos Elena

About

Elena Cotos is a renowned researcher and educator in the field of applied linguistics, with a career spanning nearly 25 years dedicated to teaching and research. An Associate Professor in the Applied Linguistics Program at Iowa State University, she holds the position of Associate Dean for Professional Development in the Graduate College and is the Director of the Center for Excellence in Communication. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Technology from Iowa State University, a Master's degree in Philology from Moldova State University, and a Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature with a specialization in Translation and Interpretation, also from Moldova State University. Elena Cotos' research and professional activity focus on areas such as English for Specific and Academic Purposes, corpus-based genre analysis, automated writing evaluation, and computer-assisted learning and assessment. Her current projects aim to identify linguistic issues related to functional meaning and develop theoretically grounded technological solutions with direct implications for pedagogical actions. She has secured significant grants from the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Education, including funding exceeding 0,000 for the development of academic writing courses and sustainable artificial intelligence-based infrastructure for scientific research writing. Throughout her career, Elena Cotos has taught advanced courses in linguistics, discourse analysis, and natural language processing, promoting active student learning through effective pedagogy. She serves as an Associate Editor for the journal English for Specific Purposes and has presented papers and keynote lectures at international specialized conferences. Her administrative work at Iowa State University includes responsibilities related to the design and evaluation of professional development programs, leading the Center for Excellence in Communication, and coordinating transdisciplinary initiatives that connect linguistic research with innovative pedagogical practices.