Maria Olariu is a doctoral candidate in Political Science at Babeș-Bolyai University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the West University of Timișoara (UVT). She also completed a Master’s program in Research Design and Data Analysis at the Faculty of Political, Administrative, and Communication Sciences (FSPAC). With strong expertise in qualitative research, Maria works as a research assistant within the Department of Political Science at Babeș-Bolyai University, involved in various research projects that address topics such as energy poverty, social equity, migration, healthcare, discrimination, and the intersection of communication and policy-making. In addition to her research work, she is responsible for creating content for the website and social media of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, expanding her areas of focus to include online communication.