Dr. Christopher Weaver

Dr. Christopher Weaver

Dr. Christopher Eric Weaver, a cherished son, brother, uncle, and esteemed professor, passed away on June 28, 2025, at the age of 56. Born in Saginaw, Michigan, on February 22, 1969, to his loving parents, Dr. David and Carol Ann (Houk) Weaver, Chris grew up in Midland, Michigan, in a home filled with warmth, humor and insatiable intellectual curiosity.
Chris's academic journey was nothing short of remarkable. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors from Michigan State University in 1991, with Bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and Chemistry. He later completed his PhD in Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After earning his doctorate, Chris was a Post Doctorate Fellow at Pennsylvania State University, where he was a founding member of the North-East Visualization and Analytics Center (NEVAC) -- one of the first academic centers in the new field of visual analytics. In 2008, he joined the University of Oklahoma Department as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Associate Director of OU's Center for Spatial Analysis. In 2014, he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure.
Chris loved teaching, and saw himself as a mentor and guide for his students. As he put it, "the areas that I teach … are conceptually expansive, technically diverse, unavoidably subjective, and deeply interested in the human element. The challenge in teaching these areas lies in the myriad of paths that students may take through them." In everything he did, Chris was committed to the highest professional principles and service to his university and professional field of computer science.
Beyond the classroom, Chris was an avid international traveler, always eager to explore new places, cultures and cuisine. In his spare time, Chris enjoyed cooking, hiking, and reading. He especially loved spending his summers with his family in his home state of Michigan, hunting agates on the shores of Lake Superior.
Chris is survived by his parents, Dr. David and Carol Ann Weaver of Midland, Michigan; his sister, Dr. Catherine Weaver and her husband, Dr. Michael Mosser of Austin, TX; his niece, Annika Mosser; and Uncle Niles Alfred Houk. His memory will also be cherished by his cousins Carol, Betsy, Jenny, and Paul, as well as friends and colleagues. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
A memorial service will be held for Chris at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that friends and colleagues donate funds to support graduate students in computer science at the University of Oklahoma (https://give.oufoundation.org/DrWeaver) or to the Nature Conservancy.