California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Robert “Bob" Weis is dedicated to encouraging students to stretch the limits of their imaginations. It is something he does daily as president of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI), which employs the artists, engineers and designers who create Disney theme parks around the world. Mr. Weis is responsible for overseeing the development of products and experiences that deepen the connection consumers have to the Disney brand. He joined WDI after graduating from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a degree in architecture, and remained at the company for 14 years before joining DreamWorks. In 2000, he founded Bob Weis Design Island Associates, Inc. He has served as a design consultant to the Smithsonian Institution, Disney, DreamWorks, Sony, Fox and the U.S. Navy.
Mr. Weis returned to WDI in 2007 as the executive vice president overseeing the design
development for the Shanghai Disney Resort. His major projects have included a five-year expansion of Disney's California Adventure Park, Disney's Hollywood Studios and the conceptual design for Tokyo DisneySea. He also helped with the creation of Tokyo Disneyland, the first international Disney theme park. In 2016, Weis was named president of WDI. In this role, he oversees the D23 Expo, an annual event highlighting upcoming events and news for Disney fans. WDI also sponsors the Imaginations design competition in which university students present their projects to Walt Disney Imagineering executives.
As the 2010 California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Mr. Weis also has earned multiple awards from the Themed Entertainment Association. He has been recognized for his work in the development of the Shanghai Disney Resort with the China Construction Engineering Luban Prize and the American Institute of Architects' Technology in Architectural Practice Award for the successful implementation of Building Information Modeling.
Mr. Weis generously founded the Bobby Brooks Memorial Interdisciplinary Design Studio at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in honor of an alumnus, friend and fellow Imagineer who died in 2008. The studio brings Disney representatives to the university to meet with students, review their projects and collaborate.
In recognition of his significant professional accomplishments and philanthropic endeavors, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona are proud to confer upon Robert “Bob" Weis the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.