Thomas C. Wiegele was a pioneer in the field of biopolitics

Biopolitics

The term "biopolitics" or "biopolitical" can refer to several different yet often compatible concepts.-Definitions:# In the work of Michel Foucault, the style of government that regulates populations through "biopower" .# In the works of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, anti-capitalist insurrection...

. He founded the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences

Association for Politics and the Life Sciences

The Association for Politics and the Life Sciences was formed in 1981 and exists to study the field of biopolitics as a subfield of political science. APLS owns and publishes an academic peer-reviewed journal, called Politics and the Life Sciences , semi-annually in March and September...

, and was its executive director for over a decade.

Biography

Wiegele received his bachelor's degree from Marquette University

Marquette University

Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...

 in 1956. His master's degree

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 and Ph.D.

Ph.D.

A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

 in political science were from the University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

.

He was a professor of political science at Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...

, where he was the director of the Program for Biosocial Research. He was the founding editor of the journal Politics and the Life Sciences

Politics and the Life Sciences

Politics and the Life Sciences is a peer-reviewed academic journal that was first published in July 1982 with Thomas Wiegele as the editor. It is published by the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences, currently edited by Erik P. Bucy....

, holding the post from 1981 to 1991.

Wiegle's research included a study of the effects of international situations on world leaders. He analyzed voice recordings of world leaders to determine their stress levels. His paper, Leaders Under Stress, was presented to the International Political Science Association in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

 in 1979.

Wiegele married Mary Preo. They had three sons and two daughters.

Wiegele died of an aneurysm

Aneurysm

An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...

 on August 9, 1991 in DeKalb, Illinois

DeKalb, Illinois

DeKalb is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 43,862 at the 2010 census, up from 39,018 at the 2000 census. The city is named after decorated German war hero Johann De Kalb, who died during the American Revolutionary War....

, a Friday. He had been planning to retire that Thursday, and had been given a retirement party to days before his death.

Honors

The Thomas C. Wiegele Interdisciplinary Dissertation Completion Award is presented to Northern Illinois University Ph.D. students writing a dissertation that bridges two academic fields.
Wiegele was a Presidential Research Professor at Northern Illinois University.