Lehigh University professor emeritus and chemical engineering alumnus William E. Schiesser ’55 passed away on August 22, 2024. He was 90 years old.
Throughout his career, Schiesser was a distinguished figure in computational biomedical engineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, and mathematics at Lehigh. After earning his PhD from Princeton University in 1960, he joined the Lehigh faculty and its Department of Chemical Engineering, where he progressed from assistant to associate to full professor, retiring as the endowed McCann Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Following his retirement, Prof. Schiesser continued his research endeavors by joining teams at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan’s Medical School. At Penn, he collaborated with ophthalmologists to develop mathematical models for protein diffusion in the retina, contributing to a deeper understanding of conditions like macular degeneration. At the University of Michigan, his work focused on modeling the diffusion of anesthesia in various tissues, aiming to enhance the precision of anesthetic administration.
Prof. Schiesser's research focused on numerical methods and software development for ordinary, differential-algebraic, and partial differential equations. He authored or co-authored some 36 books and over 130 refereed journal articles, contributing significantly to computational methods across engineering and applied sciences.
His work emphasized practical applications, particularly in biomedical engineering. Notably, he developed computer-based solutions to model real-life phenomena, such as the progression of Parkinson’s disease and the dynamics of infectious diseases. His books, including A Mathematical Modeling Approach to Infectious Diseases and ODE/PDE Models for Parkinson's Disease, provided valuable resources for researchers and practitioners alike.
Prof. Schiesser's contributions extended beyond academia: Computational assets that he developed have been accessed and utilized by more than 5,000 organizations worldwide, including universities, corporations, and government agencies. In recognition of his achievements, he received numerous awards, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Mons in Belgium in 2004.
Prof Schiesser’s legacy lives on in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering through two endowed funds and an endowed faculty fellowship. The Dolores T. and William E. Schiesser Faculty Fellow fund recognizes and supports a faculty member within the department who applies computational techniques to advancing the field of chemical engineering. Associate Professor Srinivas Rangarajan is currently the Dolores T. and William E. Schiesser Faculty Fellow. The Dr. William Schiesser Endowed Faculty Development Fund provides funds to enhance the educational and research programs in the department. The William E. Schiesser Lecture Fund provides financial support for an annual distinguished invited lecture within the Rossin College focused on computational research in engineering.
