William E. Schiesser *60

William died Aug. 22, 2024, in Bethlehem, Pa.

Born in Abington, Pa., Jan. 9, 1934, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh in 1955 and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton in 1960.

William joined Lehigh’s Chemical Engineering Department in 1960 and was named R.L. McCann Professor of Engineering and Computer Science. He focused on numerical methods and software development for ordinary, differential-algebraic, and partial differential equations, and emphasized practical applications, particularly biomedical engineering. He developed computer-based solutions to model real-life phenomena, such as the progression of Parkinson’s disease and the dynamics of infectious diseases. He wrote A Mathematical Modeling Approach to Infectious Diseases and ODE/PDE Models for Parkinson’s Disease.

After taking emeritus status in 2004, William joined teams at the medical schools of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan. 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 Michigan his work focused on modeling the diffusion of anesthesia in various tissues to enhance the precision of anesthetic administration.

Predeceased by his wife, Dolores, and son Daniel, William is survived by his son, William Jr.; one grandson; and two great-grandchildren.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.