J. Henri Wiesel, Instructor in the Computer and Information Sciences Department, passed away suddenly Friday, March 21.

Henri Wiesel first came to Temple as a CIS faculty member in the Fall of 2001. He brought with him a deep love for teaching and for Temple students, as well as 15 years of experience in teaching computer applications, databases, and Microsoft tools technologies. Henri also had over 30 years of experience in computer applications development. Soon after his arrival at Temple, Henri began working on the development of courses for the new CIS Information Science and Technology undergraduate program. He developed and taught courses on web application development, scripting, and e-commerce site development.

Henri made learning a joy for his students, preparing them technically and professionally, and imbuing them with an unparalleled sense of enthusiasm and curiosity for the field. Henri’s students were open to exploring new ways of doing things and attacking challenging projects. This is attributable to his teaching style and to his strong belief in his students, whom he admired and adored. Henri’s concern for the technical and professional development of his students was widely evident, and affirmed semester after semester in his evaluations and in the student demand for his elective courses.

It is difficult to imagine our department without Henri. Before our eyes will always be his characteristic smile and the laughs that punctuated his speech. He contributed a great deal to the CIS community, especially to the well being of his students, large numbers of whom have remained in loyal contact with Henri long after graduation. We will all miss him both personally and professionally. As time goes by, we know that the joy of his memory will always be there to fill the profound void that has been left.