Christopher Higgins
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Phone: 602-543-1066
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4701 W Thunderbid Rd Glendale, AZ 85306
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Mail code: 2352Campus: West
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Since joining Arizona State University in Summer 2020, I have led transformative initiatives in teaching and learning that emphasize experiential education, student research, and citizen science. My work integrates cutting-edge technology, adaptive learning platforms, and immersive tools like Dreamscape Learn to foster critical thinking and real-world problem-solving. I've designed and delivered a variety of iCourses, including General Biology II, Fundamentals of Ecology Lab, and The Living World, reaching over 1,400 students across 250 majors.
In addition to curriculum development, I prioritize experiential learning through conservation projects like West Valley Gardens and citizen science efforts such as the ASU West Global BioBlitz and the Saguaro Snapshot Challenge—initiatives that have gained national recognition. Through honors contracts and NCUIRE teams, I’ve mentored students on interdisciplinary research exploring mental health, environmental data, and species conservation.
My approach bridges research-forward instruction with community impact, empowering students to become confident, capable scholars and stewards of the natural world. I am deeply committed to fostering a sense of place and purpose through education, mentoring, and service. As I continue to develop courses like Environmental Sustainability, I remain driven by ASU’s mission to innovate and engage students in solving the grand challenges of our time.
Over the past two decades, my research has focused on understanding the ecological and environmental processes that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. I have sought to uncover the mechanisms that explain why species occur where they do and how various biotic and abiotic factors shape their populations. My work has encompassed a diverse range of ecosystems and ecological questions related to biodiversity. For example, I have examined how hurricanes influence the diversity and community structure of land snails within tropical rainforest ecosystems in Puerto Rico, investigated the impacts of desertification on arthropod diversity across arid landscapes in western Africa (Senegal), and explored how climatic variables exert a stronger influence than deforestation on the diversity and composition of small mammal communities in the Atlantic Forest of South America (Brazil). Collectively, these studies reflect my broader interest in understanding the complex interactions between environmental change and biological diversity across ecosystems and geographic regions.
Studying Environmental Relationships, Emotions, and Nature Engagement (SERENE) - This innovative mobile application integrates mental health assessment, environmental perception, and AI-driven spatial analysis to promote well-being through nature-based solutions. Users complete brief surveys measuring mental health indicators and nature relatedness, then upload an image of their typical daily environment. The app’s AI system analyzes these inputs—combining emotional, ecological, and visual data—to identify optimal locations for enhanced green and blue infrastructure (such as parks, trees, and water features). Unlike traditional approaches that rely primarily on socioeconomic data, this platform prioritizes mental health outcomes and human–nature connections to guide urban design and restoration efforts. By merging psychology, ecology, and artificial intelligence, the app provides a data-driven tool for creating healthier, more resilient communities grounded in environmental equity and well-being.
De la Sancha, N.U., R. Maestri, R.S. Bovendorp, and C.L. Higgins. 2020. Disentangling drivers of small mammal diversity in a highly fragmented forest system. Biotropica 52:182-185.
Presley, S.J., L.M. Cisneros, C.L. Higgins, B.T. Klingbeil, S.M. Scheiner, and M.R. Willig. 2018. Phylogenetic and functional underdispersion in Neotropical phyllostomid bat communities. Biotropica 50:135-145.
Grimshaw, J.R. and C.L. Higgins. 2017. Environmental correlates of phylogenetic structure in Mexican bat communities. Journal of Mammalogy 98:1657-1666.
Lingbeek, B.J., C.L. Higgins, J.P. Muir, D.H. Kattes, and T.W. Schwertner. 2017. Arthropod diversity and assemblage structure response to deforestation and desertification in the Sahel of western Senegal. Global Ecology and Conservation 11:165-176.
Ruehle, B.P., K.K. Herrmann, and C.L. Higgins. 2017. Helminth parasite assemblages in two cyprinids with different life-history strategies. Aquatic Ecology 51:247-256.
Medina Torres, K.M. and C.L. Higgins. 2016. Taxonomic and functional organization in metacommunity structure of stream-fish assemblages among and within river basins in Texas. Aquatic Ecology 50:247-259.
Price, C.J., C.L. Higgins, K.K. Herrmann, and D.H. Kattes. 2015. Spatiotemporal variation in the distribution of spinose ear ticks (Otobius megnini) within animal shelters at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. The Southwestern Naturalist 60:224-230.
Higgins, C.L., A.R. Love-Snyder, W.W. Wiegreffe, and R.S. Pfau. 2015. Lack of hybridization between red and blacktail shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis and C. venusta) in two Texas rivers, but evidence of introgression among three lineages of the C. lutrensis species group. Copeia 103:272-280.
Lopez-Gonzalez, C., S.J. Presley, A. Lozano, R.D. Stevens, and C.L. Higgins. 2014. Ecological biogeography of Mexican bats: the relative contribution of habitat heterogeneity, beta diversity, and environmental gradients to species richness patterns. Ecography 38:261-272.
De la Sancha, N.U., C.L. Higgins, S.J. Presley, and R.E. Strauss. 2014. Understanding the relative contribution of historical biogeography and human-induced deforestation on metacommunity structure of Atlantic Forest small mammals. Diversity and Distributions 20:1058-1070.
Lange, J.R., R.M. Harp, J.M. Cadle, R.S. Tarpley, C.L. Higgins, and B.D. Lambert. 2014. Lunar influence on post-castration performance of baby piglets. The Texas Journal of Agriculture and Natural Resources 27:1-12.
Erős, T., P. Takács, P. Sály, C.L. Higgins, P. Bíró, and D. Schmera. 2014. Quantifying temporal variability in the metacommunity structure of stream fishes: the influence of non-native species and environmental drivers. Hydrobiologia 722:31-43.
Munz, J.T. and C.L. Higgins. 2013. The influence of discharge, photoperiod, and temperature on the reproductive ecology of cyprinids in the Paluxy River, Texas. Aquatic Ecology 47:67-74.
Lopez-Gonzalez, C., S.J. Presley, A. Lozano, R.D. Stevens, and C.L. Higgins. 2012. Metacommunity structure of Mexican bats: a test of metacommunity paradigms in an area of high geographic and environmental complexity. Journal of Biogeography 39: 177-192.
Willig, M.R., S.J. Presley, C.P. Bloch, I. Castro-Arellano, L. Cisneros, C.L. Higgins, and B.T. Klingbeil. 2011. Tropical metacommunities and elevational gradients: disentangling effects of forest type from other elevational factors. Oikos 120: 1497-1508.
Presley, S.J., M.R. Willig, C.P. Bloch, I. Castro-Arellano, C.L. Higgins, and B.T. Klingbeil. 2011. A complex metacommunity structure for gastropods along an elevational gradient: axes of specialization and environmental variation. Biotropica 43:480-488.
Presley, S.J., C.L. Higgins, and M.R. Willig. 2010. Toward a comprehensive framework for the evaluation of metacommunity structure. Oikos 119: 908-917.
Higgins, C.L. 2010. Patterns of functional and taxonomic organization of stream fishes: inferences based on α, β, and γ diversities. Ecography 33:678-687.
Higgins, C.L. 2009. Spatiotemporal variation in functional and taxonomic organization of stream-fish assemblages in central Texas. Aquatic Ecology 43: 1133-1141.
Presley, S.J., C.L. Higgins, C. Lopez-Gonzalez, and R.D. Stevens. 2009. Elements of metacommunity structure of Paraguayan bats: multiple gradients require analysis of multiple axes. Oecologia 160: 781-793.
Higgins, C.L. and R.E. Strauss. 2008. Modeling stream-fish assemblages with niche apportionment models: patterns, processes, and scale dependence. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 137: 696-706.
Willig, M.R., C.P. Bloch, N. Brokaw, C.L. Higgins, J. Thompson, and C.R. Zimmermann. 2007. Cross-scale responses of biodiversity to hurricane and anthropogenic disturbance in a tropical forest. Ecosystems 10: 824-838.
Bloch, C.P., C.L. Higgins, and M.R. Willig. 2007. Effects of large-scale disturbance on community structure: temporal trends in nestedness. Oikos 116: 395-406.
Higgins, C.L., M.R. Willig, and R.E. Strauss. 2006. The role of stochastic processes in producing nested patterns of species distributions. Oikos 114: 159-167.
Chizinski, C.J., C.L. Higgins, C.E. Shavlik, K.L. Pope. 2006. Multiple hypotheses testing of fish incidence patterns in an urbanized ecosystem. Aquatic Ecology 40: 97-109.
Higgins, C.L., and G.R. Wilde. 2005. The role of salinity in structuring fish assemblages in a prairie stream system. Hydrobiologia 549: 197-203.
Smith, C.D., C.L. Higgins, G.R. Wilde, and R.E. Strauss. 2005. Development of a morphological index of the nutritional status of juvenile largemouth bass. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 134: 120-125.
Higgins, C.L. and R.E. Strauss. 2004. Discrimination and classification of search paths produced by different search-tactic models. Behavioral Ecology 15: 248-254.
Courses
2026 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 182 | General Biology II |
| BIO 412 | Conservation in Practice |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
2025 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 181 | General Biology I |
2025 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| LSC 322 | Fundamentals of Ecology Lab |
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 412 | Conservation in Practice |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
2024 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| LSC 322 | Fundamentals of Ecology Lab |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
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| ENV 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| BIO 412 | Conservation in Practice |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 181 | General Biology I |
| LSC 394 | Special Topics |
| ENV 394 | Special Topics |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
2023 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| LSC 322 | Fundamentals of Ecology Lab |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 412 | Conservation in Practice |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| LSC 394 | Special Topics |
| ENV 394 | Special Topics |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
2022 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| LSC 322 | Fundamentals of Ecology Lab |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 412 | Conservation in Practice |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 182 | General Biology II |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
2021 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| LSC 322 | Fundamentals of Ecology Lab |
2021 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
| BIO 100 | The Living World |
As part of my commitment to community engagement and environmental education, I have organized and led several outreach initiatives that connect biodiversity science with the public. These efforts include coordinating campus mini-bioblitz events for K–12 summer camps, where students actively participate in documenting local species and learning about ecological research through hands-on field experiences. In addition, I spearheaded the installation of the first certified Monarch Waystation on ASU’s West Valley campus located in West Valley Gardens, providing critical habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators while enhancing the campus’s role as a living laboratory for sustainability and conservation education. Together, these projects foster environmental awareness, promote citizen science, and strengthen connections between the university and the surrounding community.