Christopher P. Higgins, PhD, Assistant Professor

Education

• Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
• M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
• A.B., Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Appointments

• 2009 – present: Assistant Professor, Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
• 2006 - 2008: Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Health Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
• 1998 - 2001: Analyst, The Cadmus Group, Inc., Watertown, MA

Research Interests

• Environmental organic chemistry
• Bioaccumulation processes and bioavailability of chemicals in sediments
• In vitro and in silico assays of contaminant bioaccumulation
• Emerging organic contaminants, with a particular focus on perfluorochemicals, perfluorochemical precursors, and charged organics
• Chemical fate and transport processes in natural and engineered aquatic systems with a focus on charged organic chemical sorption mechanisms
• Water reuse and on-site waste disposal
• Impacts of nanomaterials on contaminant bioavailability

Biosynopsis

Dr. Christopher P. Higgins earned his bachelor’s in chemistry from Harvard University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University.  Prior to earning his graduate degrees, Dr. Higgins worked as an Analyst for The Cadmus Group, Inc., a public-sector environmental consulting firm providing regulatory development and implementation support to the U.S. EPA.  Dr. Higgins has been working in the field of emerging organic contaminants for the last 10 years, first at Cadmus in support of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for drinking water and then on perfluorochemicals as part of his Ph.D. research.  After Stanford, Dr. Higgins continued research on emerging contaminants as a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His postdoctoral research focused on the use of in vitro models of perfluorochemical bioaccumulation in humans as well as the bioaccumulation of antimicrobial chemicals from sediments and soils.   

 Dr. Higgins has published his research in Environmental Science and Technology and is a regular reviewer for this journal.  He has presented his research at both American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) national meetings and has given invited talks throughout the U.S.  Dr. Higgins was the recipient of the Best Student Platform Presentation award for the SETAC North America 27th Annual Meeting.  In addition, Dr. Higgins received both a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship and a National Defense Science and Engineering graduate research fellowship.

Dr. Higgins enjoys teaching and has been involved in teaching and course development at Stanford and Johns Hopkins prior to beginning his faculty career at the Colorado School of Mines.  Dr. Higgins’ teaching interests include environmental organic chemistry, contaminant fate and transport processes, aquatic chemistry, and communicating environmental science and engineering to nontechnical audiences.  Dr. Higgins is looking forward to developing and growing his research group at CSM, and will be actively looking for new graduate students in 2009. 

On the personal side, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife Tricia and developing his vegetarian culinary skills.  Chris is also an avid rock climber and mountaineer.

Publications

Higgins, C.P., McLeod, P.B., MacManus-Spencer, L.A, and R.G. Luthy. 2007. Bioaccumulation of Perfluorochemicals in Sediments by the Aquatic Oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus. Environmental Science & Technology. 41(13): 4600-4606.

Higgins, C.P., and R.G. Luthy. 2007 Modeling Surfactant Sorption onto Sediment Materials: An a priori Approach for Perfluorochemical Surfactants and Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates. Environmental Science & Technology. 41(9): 3254-3261 and addendum 41(17): 6316.

Higgins, C.P., and R.G. Luthy. 2006. Sorption of Perfluorinated Surfactants onto Sediments. Environmental Science & Technology. 40(23): 7251-7256.

Schultz, M.M., Higgins, C.P., Huset, C.A., Luthy, R.G., Barofsky, D.F., and J.A. Field. 2006. Behavior of fluorochemicals during wastewater treatment.  Environmental Science & Technology. 40(23): 7350-7357.

Handler, N.B., Paytan, A., Higgins, C.P., Luthy, R.G., and A.B. Boehm. 2006. California Coastal Water-Body Impairment: the Impacts of Land Use, Aqueous Conditions, and Season on Ecosystem Health. Estuaries and Coasts. 29(5): 860-870.

Higgins, C.P., Field, J.A., Criddle, C.S., and R.G. Luthy. 2005. Quantitative Determination of Perfluorochemicals in Sediments and Domestic Sludge. Environmental Science & Technology. 39(11): 3946-3956.

Werner, D., Higgins, C.P., and R.G. Luthy. 2005. The sequestration of PCBs in Lake Hartwell sediment with activated carbon. Water Research. 39(10): 2105-2113.

Higgins, C.P. 2003. 3M and the Withdrawal of PFOS: TSCA, Product Liability, and the Precautionary Principle. Environmental Law Reporter. 33(1): 10062-10067.