Dr. Andrew Higier serves as the Acting Director of the Energy Portfolio at the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). In this role Dr. Higier supports the Energy Portfolio in delivering strategic energy capabilities to the military by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology and strengthening the national security innovation base. The Energy Portfolio is focused on two primary lines of effort: Installation Resilience and Operational Energy.
Prior to joining DIU Dr. Higier was the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense of Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) Liaison Officer to U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). He was responsible for the development, planning, and execution of a vast Science and Technology (S&T) portfolio including over ten projects and $100M in funding in support of the USSOUTHCOM Mission. Dr. Higier has spent over a decade focused on bringing innovative and game changing technologies to the warfighter. He has extensive experience across the Department of Defense (DoD), including multiple positions in the U.S. Navy, USSOUTHCOM, and OUSD R&E as well as diverse experience in both private industry and academia. Dr. Higier began his time in the government as an Engineer at the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific. There he was responsible for a number of energy related projects ranging from basic research to demonstrations. In July 2015 Dr. Higier was selected to be a Science Director for the Office of Naval Research Global in Singapore. In this role he provided regional expertise in Power and Energy and worked closely with the Chief of Naval Research. He was responsible for discovering innovative research and introducing it to the Office of Naval Research and the broader Naval Research and Development Enterprise.
Dr. Higier has over 15 years of experience in program development and management. He completed his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells in 2001. Prior to joining the DoD he worked at a various private sector small business startups. In 2010 Dr. Higier joined the Applied Research Center (ARC) of Florida International University where he was a Research Scientist in charge of joint Renewable Energy projects with USSOUTHCOM. Later he served as a consultant at a Silicon Valley startup working on unique and innovative electrochemical systems.
Dr. Higier holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering. He has authored a number of journal articles and has presented at a number of conferences across the globe and also holds a number of patents.