A leading advocate for the liberal arts and the residential liberal arts college, Dr. Weiss comes to Haverford from Lafayette College, where his presidency from 2005-13 was noted for a strategic plan that led to an increase in the size of its permanent faculty, revision of its Common Course of Study and the development of new interdisciplinary programs across the curriculum.

He has taught at Johns Hopkins University, where he was also Dean of the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, and earned both an M.A. and Ph.D in the History of Art from Hopkins as well as an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management.