Rate My Professor Arlinda Hill

Arlinda Hill is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Physics at Arizona State University, teaching lower- and upper-division physics classes such as PHY 121, PHY 131, and PHY 241. She is a strong advocate for inclusive teaching practices and views the best part of teaching physics as guiding students to harness its power as a mode of thinking that cultivates critical thinking, questioning of assumptions, and problem-solving skills valuable in all areas of life. Hill's passion for physics ignited in seventh grade and flourished in high school thanks to her inspiring teacher Myfit Serani, who made the subject relatable and encouraged her participation in Physics Olympiads. With support from her father, a civil engineer, she majored in physics, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master's in Nuclear Physics from the University of Tirana in Albania through a 4+1 program. She then relocated to Arizona State University, where she completed a Master's degree in Physics Education Research and a Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics in 2011.

Hill's doctoral research under advisor Fernando A. Ponce focused on experimental condensed matter physics, specifically the growth, characterization, and thermodynamics of III-nitride semiconductors. Her dissertation, 'Growth, Characterization, and Thermodynamics of III-Nitride Semiconductors' (2011), explored structural, electrical, and thermodynamic properties, with particular attention to phase separation in indium gallium nitride (InGaN) alloys. She quantified thermodynamics using a regular solution model and Gibbs free energy analysis, identifying stable and unstable regions in the phase diagram. Growth experiments employed molten gallium-indium alloy with ammonia, characterized by X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, secondary electron microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Following her Ph.D., Hill transitioned to teaching at ASU, serving as Assistant Teaching Professor from September 2016 to July 2023 before promotion to Associate Teaching Professor. Her research interests encompass physics education and semiconductor physics. Professionally, she joined the American Association of Physics Teachers in 2021, coordinates Arizona section meetings for educator collaboration, and represents the section on AAPT's Committee for Research in Physics Education and Nominating Committee. She also serves on the executive committee of the APS Four Corners Section and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Senate (2025-2028).