George A Weiss

Mr. Weiss is president of George Weiss Associates, a money-management firm in New York. He is also chief executive officer of Weiss Multi-Strategy Advisors. Mr. Weiss, 67, pledged $20-million to the University of Pennsylvania to endow four professorships for faculty members who hold joint appointments from two schools. Mr. Weiss earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1965 from the university and has two daughters who graduated from the institution. He has been a trustee of the university since 1988 and is currently chair of its $3.5-billion fund-raising campaign, which concludes in 2012. “By providing faculty support for the best teachers and scholars with an interdisciplinary focus, we can tackle the complex problems of our times and prepare Penn students to become leaders,” said Mr. Weiss, in a written statement about his gift. The college did not disclose a payment schedule for the donation. Mr. Weiss is a regent of Trinity College, in Hartford, Conn.; a member of the Board of Directors at the Metropolitan Opera, in New York; and chairman of the Board of Directors at Say Yes to Education, a charity he founded in 1987 that helps low-income youths gain access to postsecondary education.