Mr. Oussama El Gharras | Sustainable Engineering | Innovative Research Award

Mr. Oussama El Gharras | National Institute for Agricultural Research | Morocco

Mr. Oussama El Gharras is a distinguished agricultural engineering specialist with extensive expertise in mechanization, conservation agriculture, and the development of farm machinery, supported by a research record featuring 57 citations by 55 documents, 8 published documents, and an h-index of 4. Born on 22 November 1962 in Marrakech, he earned his Ingénieur d’application degree from IAV Hassan II, followed by a Master of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Oklahoma State University and PHD coursework at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, later strengthening his managerial background through the Cycle Supérieur de Gestion at ENCG Settat. His career at INRA encompasses major contributions to small farm mechanization, animal traction, food legume production mechanisation, and the design and industrial development of No-Till seed drills and feed block units. He managed the INRA agricultural engineering laboratory and coordinated several national and international initiatives, including the INRA-IAV-DERD No-Till project, AAAID-CRRA Settat program, AusAID-ACIAR-INRA collaboration, and ConServeTerra. As Vice President of AGENDA and an active member of AMAC and the National Commission of Agricultural Mechanization, he continues to play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable agriculture in North Africa. His scientific publications address conservation agriculture, weed dynamics, and resilient farming systems in semi-arid regions.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

El Gharras, O. (2024). Perceptions and sociocultural factors underlying adoption of conservation agriculture in the Mediterranean. Agriculture and Human Values.

El Gharras, O., El Mourid, M., & Boulal, H. (2016). Conservation agriculture in North Africa: Experiences, achievements and challenges. In A. Kassam et al. (Eds.), Conservation agriculture for Africa: Building resilient farming systems in changing climate. CAB International.

Tanji, A., El Gharras, O., Mayfield, A., & El Mourid, M. (2017). On-farm evaluation of integrated weed management in no-till rainfed crops in semi-arid Morocco. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 12(16), 1404–1410.

Tanji, A., El Gharras, O., Ouabbou, H., & Mladen, T. (2017). Weed dynamics in no-till rainfed crops in Chaouia, semi-arid Morocco. Journal of Agricultural Science, 9(11).

El Gharras, O., El Brahli, A., & El Mourid, M. (2009). No-till system applied to Northern Africa rainfed agriculture: Case of Morocco. In Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture (pp. xx–xx). New Delhi, India.

El Gharras, O., & Idrissi, M. (2006). Contraintes technologiques au développement du semis direct au Maroc. Options Méditerranéennes, Série A: Séminaires Méditerranéens, 69, 121–124.

El Gharras, O., Ait Lhaj, A., & Idrissi, M. (2004). Développement d’un semoir non labour industriel. In Deuxièmes Rencontres Méditerranéennes sur le Semis Direct (pp. 74–81). FERT/RCM; AGER.

Mr. Mohammad Alibabaei Shahraki | Structural Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Mohammad Alibabaei Shahraki | Technical and Vocational University | Iran

Mr. Mohammad Alibabaei Shahraki is a distinguished lecturer and researcher at the Technical and Vocational University in Tehran, Iran, specializing in civil engineering with a focus on earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, and structural design. Recognized for his exceptional academic achievements, he was the top student for 12 consecutive semesters and secured a single-digit rank in the national university entrance examination. His research excellence has been acknowledged with the title of Best Researcher in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, alongside the invention of two notable research innovations. Prof. Shahraki has made significant contributions to the field of structural control and seismic performance enhancement, including pioneering studies on multiple tuned mass dampers, elastoplastic-tuned mass damper-inerters, and the effectiveness of viscous dampers in steel frame structures, with his work published in prominent journals such as Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering and Structures, and presented at international conferences on civil engineering, architecture, and urban planning. With a perfect GPA of 4.00 from Shahrekord University for his Master’s in Civil Engineering, he combines academic rigor with practical expertise, delivering high-quality teaching and research. His scholarly impact includes 60 citations across 44 documents, 4 published works, and an h-index of 2, reflecting his growing influence in earthquake-resistant structural design. Fluent in English, Prof. Shahraki actively engages with global research communities and maintains an ORCID profile to showcase his contributions.

Featured Publications

Shahraki, M. A., Kamgar, R., & Heidarzadeh, H. (2023). Damage-based design of multiple tuned mass dampers to improve the seismic performance of steel frame structures. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 173, 108062.

Shahraki, M. A., Kamgar, R., & Heidarzadeh, H. (2023). Assessing the seismic behavior of structures controlled with a novel elastoplastic-tuned mass damper inerter considering the effects of soil-structure interactions. Structures, 57, 105265.

Shahraki, M. A., & Chaleshtori, H. S. A. (2025). Comparative analysis of novel non-linear tuned mass damper inerter and traditional tuned mass dampers in steel shear frame structures. International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics.

Shahraki, M. A. (2025). Response mitigations of adjacent structure with MPTMD under real and stochastic excitations. Discover Geoscience, 3(47), 1-20.

Alibabaei Shahraki, M. (2025). Cloud drift optimization algorithm as a nature-inspired metaheuristic. Discover Computing, 28(1), 1-28.