Dr. Paul Cotae is a distinguished scholar and leader in Electrical and Computer Engineering, specializing in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, and digital communications. As Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UDC, he fosters innovation through cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to advancing educational excellence, all while mentoring the next generation of engineers and researchers.
Experience
Education
Doctor in Philosophy in Telecommunication, "Polytehnica" University, Bucharest, Romania Master of Science in Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado Boulder Master of Science in Electronics and Telecommunication, Technical University of Iași, Iași, Romania Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Iași, Iași, Romania
Roles
Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, 2022-Present Ph.D. Program Director, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 2018-Present Director, SEAS Research Center, 2017-Present
Courses Taught
Advanced Digital Communications Reinforcement Learning Digital information Theory Fundamentals of Communications
Expertise
Research Focus / Works in Progress
Artificial intelligence and machine learning; cybersecurity; anomaly detection; detection of low-rate denial of service attacks; intrusion detection; information theory; digital communications; wireless sensor networks; wireless communications
Leadership
Fellow, Washington Academy of Sciences, 2023-Present
Impact
Selected Publications
Alexander-Reindorf, N.E., & Cotae, P. (2023). Collaborative cost multi-agent decision-making algorithm with factored-value Monte Carlo tree search and max-plus. Games, 14(6), 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/g14060075
Qorib, M., Oladunni, T., Denis, M., Ososanya, E., & Cotae, P. (2023). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: Text mining, sentiment analysis and machine learning on COVID-19 vaccination Twitter dataset.Expert Systems with Applications, 212, 118715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2022.118715
Zewdie, T.G., Girma, A., & Cotae, P. (2022). Malware detection framework in cyber-physical systems using artificial intelligence - Machine Learning. Issues in Information Systems, 23(1), 316-332. https://doi.org/10.48009/1_iis_2022_126
Zewdie, T.G., Girma, A., & Cotae, P. (2022). Ransomware attack detection on the Internet of Things using machine learning algorithm. In J.Y.C. Chen, G. Fragomeni, H. Degen, & S. Ntoa (Eds.), HCI International 2022 – Late breaking papers: Interacting with eXtended reality and artificial intelligence. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21707-4_43
Reindorf, N.E.A., & Cotae, P. (2021). Using counterfactual regret minimization and Monte Carlo tree search for cybersecurity threats. Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology, 9(1), 13-22.
Selected Presentations
Cotae, P., Reindorf, N.E.A., Kang, M. & Velazquez, A. (2023). Work in progress: A hybrid collaborative multi-agent decision-making algorithm with factored-value max plus.IEEE International Black Sea Conference on Communications and Networking, Istanbul, Turkey.
Cotae, P., Kang, M. & Velazquez, A. (2022). A scaleable real-time distributed multi-agent decision-making algorithm with cost. IEEE 19th Annual Consumer Communications & Networking Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cotae, P., Kang, M. & Velazquez, A. (2021). A scaleable real-time distributed multi-agent decision-making algorithm with cost. IEEE Symposium on Computers and Communications, Athens, Greece.
Cotae, P., & Reindorf, N.E.A. (2021). Using counterfactual regret minimization and Monte Carlo tree search for cybersecurity threats.IEEE International Black Sea Conference on Communications and Networking, Bucharest, Romania.
Cotae, P., Kang, M. & Velazquez, A. (2020). A cybersecurity model for decision-making problems under uncertainty using game theory. 13th International Conference on Communications, Bucharest, Romania.
Selected Grants
National Science Foundation. (2024). Machine learning and deep learning algorithms for standoff detection of threat chemicals by active infrared backscatter hyperspectral imaging.
Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security. (2021). Machine learning experimentation.
NASA. (2017). Structured query language (SQL) database development for anomaly detection applications.
Department of Defense. (2015). Performance data-driven methods and tools for computer network defense through network science.
Department of Defense. (2011). Information-driven blind doppler shift estimation and compensation methods for underwater wireless sensor networks.
Recognitions
Honorable Ronald H. Brown Distinguished Leadership Award, UDC, 2024 Honorable Ronald H. Brown Distinguished Leadership Award, UDC, 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, UDC, 2023 Fellow, Washington Academy of Sciences, 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award, UDC, 2023 Excellence in Research Award in Engineering Sciences, Washington Academy of Sciences, 2023 Board Member, Washington Academy of Sciences, 2023 President, Graduate Council, UDC, 2021-22 Director, Ph.D. Program, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 2018 Vice Chair, ASEE Mid-Atlantic Conference, 2018 Faculty Recognition Award for Research, SEAS, 2017 Chair, Ph.D. Program Committee for the Development of SEAS, 2017
Invited Participations
Cotae, P. (2017). Information theoretic and statistical methods to detect the low and slow rate of denial-of-service attacks.IEEE D.C. Section, Information Theory, Washington, D.C.
Cotae, P. (2024). Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) challenges and integration to ECE curricula.ECEDHA Conference, Tucson, Arizona.
Cotae, P. (2017). Information theoretic and statistical methods to detect the low and slow rate of denial-of-service attacks.IEEE D.C. Section, Information Theory, Washington, D.C.
Cotae, P. (2013). Non-data-aided doppler shift estimation and detection for underwater moving targets: A practical approach.Technical University Iași, Iași, Romania.
Cotae, P. (2007). Game theoretic minimization of the total weighted squared correlation in multipath multicell synchronous DS-CDMA systems.The General Motors Wireless Networking and Communication Seminar, Austin, Texas.
Cotae, P. (2004). Total weighted squared correlation criterion of DS-CDMA systems in multipath environment.The Electrical and Computer Engineering Colloquium, Houston, Texas.
