Donald Snyder, 87, senior professor of electrical and systems engineering

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Donald Snyder, a senior professor in the Preston M. Green Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, died Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, due to complications of gastrointestinal cancer. He is 87.

Snyder joined the Washington University faculty in 1969 in the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Biomedical Computer Laboratory in the School of Medicine, where he participated in research with Jerome R. Cox Jr., a leader in the application of advanced technology for introduction of new treatments in biomedical engineering; Michel Ter-Pogossian, the founder of positron emission tomography (PET); and others to develop PET systems. He was the Samuel C. Sachs Professor of Electrical Engineering and department chair from 1976 to 1986 as well as a professor of radiology in the School of Medicine. He became a senior professor in 2003.

Snyder was the founding director of the Electronic Systems and Signals Research Laboratory in the Department of Electrical Engineering from 1986 to 1998. During this time, the lab grew to seven faculty, 25 graduate students and several undergraduate students working on fundamental aspects of imaging applied to biomedical, astronomical and remote-sensing problems. Snyder is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), cited for “contributions to estimation theory and applications in communication and medicine.” He was the 1982 President of the Information Theory Society.

After the initial launch of the Hubble space telescope, an aberration was detected in the mirror resulting in the blurring of all images. Snyder proposed a novel image reconstruction technique that removed the blur; a version of this algorithm was used in all subsequent images.

Joseph O’Sullivan, the Samuel C. Sachs Professor of Electrical Engineering and dean of the UMSL/WashU Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program, remembered Snyder as a great man who made significant contributions to Washington University and to research.

“The imaging science community at Washington University owes a lot to Don Snyder for its existence,” O’Sullivan said. “He brought imaging researchers together across the university and formed the foundation for the imaging science certificate and the Center for Imaging Science in the 1990s.”

O’Sullivan said Snyder was one of the first researchers to combine mathematical theory and physics modeling to design imaging systems. He and Cox had the first patent on Xray CT technology with rotating gantries.

“Everyone who came into contact with Don recognized that he was a clear leader,” O’Sullivan said. “He was always generous with co-authorship, recognizing the contributions of others and creating the positive environment we are trying to replicate today.”

Snyder earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1963 and 1966, respectively, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California in 1961. He is a veteran of the US Navy who served in the Korean War.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. April 8, 2023, in the Umrath Lounge in Umrath Hall at Washington University in St. Louis.

Snyder is survived by his sons Richard (Elspeth Keller) and Philip (Carol), and three grandchildren Owen, Alex and Elias. He was preceded in death by his wife, Carole.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer, 12951 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63141.

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