Dr. Alina S. Rusu has a degree in Biology and one in Psychology. She has received her PhD title in Natural Sciences in 2004 at University of Zurich, Switzerland. She is currently full Professor in the Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She is the academic coordinator of the master’s degree program Ethology & Human-Animal Interaction and of the Human-Animal-Interaction Research Lab. Her professional and research interests are: applied values of human-animal connections, humane education, interdisciplinary curricular development, evolutionary psychology and the multidimensional study of civic engagement, particularly Service-Learning. She is one of the board members of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO). From 2018 to 2024, she was one of the Fulbright Ambassadors for the academic community in Romania.