Dr. Nora Baaalla | Material Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Assistant professor | Foundation for Research, Development and Innovation in Science and Engineering | Morocco

Dr. Nora Baaalla is a Moroccan physicist whose work bridges materials theory and energy applications. She focuses on hybrid compounds, transition-metal oxides, and halide perovskites, translating first-principles insights into pathways for better optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices. Her career blends teaching, mentoring, and collaborative research across Moroccan and international laboratories. She contributes to curriculum design, supervises capstone projects, and participates in scientific events that connect academic advances with industry needs. With a background spanning modeling, thin-film studies, and device-relevant properties, she champions rigorous computation aligned with measurable outcomes, emphasizing reproducibility, open scientific discussion, and practical recommendations for sustainable technology adoption.

Publication Profile

Scopus

ORCID

Google Scholar

Education Background

Her academic formation progresses from foundational physical sciences to advanced specialization in renewable energy, storage, and materials modeling. Along the way, she explored solar geometry, thermal systems, and the design of collective solar solutions, integrating geographic and temporal datasets into user-friendly decision tools. Later, she deepened expertise in density-functional methods, band alignment at heterointerfaces, and structure–property relationships in complex solids and hybrids. This pathway unified laboratory techniques, computational packages, and data analysis workflows into a coherent approach for evaluating materials under realistic operating conditions, preparing her to address challenges in efficiency, reliability, and scalability for solar and optoelectronic technologies.

Professional Experience

She teaches core physics to preparatory and undergraduate cohorts, covering electromagnetism, electrostatics, electronics, thermodynamics, optics, materials, and fabrication processes across lectures, tutorials, and laboratories. Beyond classroom duties, she designs syllabi, coordinates academic cycles, and guides students through hands-on projects such as solar tracking and voice-controlled home systems. Her university service includes reviewing manuscripts, organizing scientific meetings on green hydrogen, and participating in training related to high-performance computing, pedagogy, research methodology, entrepreneurship, and scientific publishing. She also brings practical energy-engineering experience from industry placements, translating standards, feasibility analyses, and performance metrics into actionable classroom and research practices.

Awards and Honors

Her recognition stems from sustained scholarly engagement and service to the physics and energy communities. She has been invited to evaluate submissions for an international optics and quantum electronics journal and to help organize a global event focused on hydrogen. Her development record includes competitive workshops and certifications in high-performance computing, scientific writing, university pedagogy, intellectual property, and management, reflecting commitment to continuous improvement. Participation in regional and international conferences demonstrates her visibility and leadership. These activities, alongside mentorship and curriculum contributions, underscore dedication to scientific quality, collaborative impact, and the advancement of sustainable energy research and education.

Research Focus

Her current agenda leverages first-principles calculations to optimize device-relevant properties in semiconductors and hybrids. She studies band alignment at heterojunctions, dielectric response, optical absorption, and transport descriptors tied to thermoelectric and photovoltaic performance. Model systems include double perovskites, polyoxometalate-based frameworks, and mixed chalcogenide oxides. By coupling theory with experimentally accessible metrics, she proposes materials screening criteria, interface engineering strategies, and defect-tolerant design rules. The broader aim is to translate atomistic understanding into guidance for film growth, processing windows, and stack architectures that raise efficiency, stabilize operation, and reduce environmental impact across solar energy and optoelectronic applications.

Publications — Top Notes

1. Study of optical, electrical and photovoltaic properties of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite: ab initio calculations 
   Published Year: 2020
   Citation: 36

2. Structure, optical and magnetic properties of a novel homometallic coordination polymers: Experimental and Computational studies 
   Published Year: 2020
   Citation: 28

3. Electronic and optical properties of organic–inorganic (CuII/ReVII)-heterobimetallic L-Arginine complex: Experimental and Computational studies
   Published Year: 2021
   Citation: 16

4. Synthesis of CuO thin films based on Taguchi design for solar absorber
   Published Year: 2021
   Citation: 45

5. Insights into Ag₂Mo₃SeO₁₂ for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications: A theoretical exploration of its structural, electronic, and thermoelectric behavior 
   Published Year: 2024
   Citation: 6

Conclusion

Dr. Nora Baaalla unites rigorous computation, practical energy engineering, and student-centered pedagogy. Her teaching spans foundational physics through specialized materials topics, while her research connects electronic structure to measurable device outcomes. Engagement with peer review, conference organization, and professional training reflects a service-oriented approach that strengthens community standards and collaboration. By focusing on interface physics, optical response, and transport, she contributes guidance for scaling sustainable technologies. Her trajectory demonstrates careful integration of methods, clarity in problem selection, and commitment to mentorship, positioning her to advance materials-enabled solutions for renewable energy, efficient electronics, and modern scientific education.