معرفی
C. Fred Higgs III is the John and Ann Doerr Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at Rice University. He also directs the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership and the Particle Flow & Tribology Lab (PFTL). His academic journey includes a B.S. and M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1995–2001) and postdoctoral work at Georgia Tech. Previously, he was a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University (2003–2016).
His research focuses on particulate flow modeling, tribology, and nanoscale engineering applications, including chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) for semiconductor manufacturing and granular lubrication systems. The PFTL explores industrial applications like energy resource drilling, additive manufacturing, and biomedical interfaces.
Awards include the NSF CAREER Award and Carnegie Mellon’s top teaching honor. His lab utilizes advanced facilities such as the Granular Shear Cell, Hysitron TI 980 TriboIndenter, and optical profilometers. Higgs actively advises students and oversees academic policies as Vice Provost.
