FITCHBURG — Fitchburg State University has appointed longtime professor and administrator Dr. David P. Weiss as its new dean of institutional advancement.
According to Matthew Bruun, chief of staff to Fitchburg State University President Dr. Donna Hodge, Weiss assumed the position July 1 after serving the university for 18 years as a professor of criminal justice, including about seven years as director of the Crocker Center for Civic Engagement. He will join President Hodge’s cabinet and oversee Fitchburg State’s fundraising, alumni engagement, and advancement operations.
“David brings a combination of institutional knowledge, community credibility, and practical experience that would be difficult to replicate,” President Hodge said. ” “Over the past two years, I’ve watched him step beyond his faculty role to help lead major institutional priorities, strengthen relationships with alumni and community partners, and take on significant responsibility for the planning and fundraising behind our Presidential Galas. His earlier leadership of the Crocker Center for Civic Engagement also reflects a longstanding commitment to ensuring that Fitchburg State is not simply located in this region, but is an active and trusted partner within it.”
President Hodge also said she trusts Weiss’s judgment, business acumen, understanding of the campus and North Central Massachusetts, and ability to lead people through change.
“He is deeply invested in the university, and I believe he is the right person to strengthen the division, expand our philanthropic capacity, and build the relationships that will support Fitchburg State’s next chapter,” President Hodge said.
As dean, Weiss will lead a structural reorganization of the university’s advancement division. He will also guide the continued development of the Fitchburg State University Foundation Board, with an emphasis on increasing its philanthropic capacity and aligning its work with the university’s institutional goals.
Weiss said he was honored to be selected for the position.
“Having served Fitchburg State for the past 18 years as a professor of criminal justice, including nearly seven years as director of the Crocker Center for Civic Engagement, I know our students, our campus, and our broader community well,” Weiss said. “I am thrilled to leverage this experience to champion our university’s mission. As I transition into the advancement space, I am actively collaborating with internal and external partners to hit the ground running. Our primary objective is to elevate Fitchburg State’s profile by sharing the incredible stories of student transformation, made possible by the dedicated work of our faculty, librarians, and staff. The regional and national impact of Fitchburg State is profound, and it is a story we must share widely for the good work of Fitchburg State to continue.”
Before his appointment, Weiss was a tenured professor in the university’s Behavioral Sciences Department, teaching undergraduate and graduate criminal justice students. He most recently served as interim chair of the department and, beginning in 2025, as special assistant to the president.
In that position, Weiss led the Presidential Fellows program and directed planning, outreach and fundraising for the university’s presidential galas.
Weiss previously directed the Douglas and Isabelle Crocker Center for Civic Engagement, which works to strengthen local organizations and expand collaboration between the university and surrounding communities.
He earned a doctorate in political science from Claremont Graduate University in 2006, specializing in criminal justice and crime policy.
Before joining Fitchburg State in 2008, Weiss was a visiting fellow for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. Weiss also currently serves as a bail commissioner for the Orange and Gardner district courts.
