Daniel A. Higgins

Dr. Daniel A. Higgins is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Kansas State University (KSU), where he has held academic positions since 1996. He earned his B.A. in Chemistry from St. Olaf College (1988) and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1993), followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Minnesota (1993–1996). Higgins served as Department Head of Chemistry at KSU from 2016 to 2022.

His research focuses on advanced optical microscopy techniques to study mesostructured materials, including single molecule detection, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and near-field scanning optical microscopy. Key projects involve analyzing the structure of lyotropic liquid crystals, mesoporous silica, and organically-modified silica gradients. Collaborations with researchers like Takashi Ito and Maryanne Collinson explore nanoscale dynamics in confined environments, such as DNA-electrode interactions and nanorod blinking in semiconducting polymers.

Higgins has advised numerous graduate and undergraduate students, including alumni such as Dr. Angela M. Bardo and Dr. Judith Bautista-Gomez. His work is supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, the Army Research Office, and industry partners like 3M. He teaches courses in analytical chemistry, materials chemistry, and environmental science, contributing to both undergraduate and graduate education at KSU.

His lab, the Higgins Research Laboratory, emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to materials characterization, with ongoing projects on nanoporous media, single molecule tracking, and chemical gradients. Notable achievements include developing novel methods for probing nanoscale polarity and mass transport in confined systems.