Weimin Dong (PhD '86) dies at 88
Weimin Dong
July 26, 1937 – December 20, 2025
Weimin Dong, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away in his sleep on December 20, 2025, in Shanghai, China. He was 88 years old.
Weimin was born in Shanghai on July 26, 1937, to parents Yuanxiang Dong and Xiuqing Li. He graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a degree in civil engineering. After graduation, the government assigned him to work in Shenyang, China, before transferring him to Beijing. While in Shenyang, Weimin was introduced to Shanshan Kang by her brother, a former classmate, and the two were married a few years later. He and Shanshan had two children — Bilei, born in 1967, and Bihui (Tony), born in 1969.
While living in Beijing, Weimin advanced to the role of department leader at the Ministry of Construction and was acknowledged by the Ministry as a promising candidate for future leadership positions. When two Professors from Stanford University (Prof. James Gere and Prof. Haresh Shah) were invited by the China’s Minister of Construction to visit China after the Great Tangshan earthquake, Weimin was introduced to them as a potential Ph.D. student at Stanford to conduct research in Earthquake Engineering. These were the years of Cultural Revolution in China, and it was indeed surprising that the senior political and technology leaders in China were recommending Weimin to work towards his Ph.D. at Stanford University. Weimin was admitted as a graduate student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford and Prof. Haresh Shah was his academic advisor. Weimin joined his academic program in 1982. He completed his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in 1986 and continued his research in the field of Earthquake Risk Management at the John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center. Between 1986 and 1988, he developed robust models for the Insurance Industry to estimate losses resulting from future earthquakes. The insurance industry in the USA frequently relied on his expertise to develop earthquake insurance products. For the first time, such models were based on science and technology so that the insurance industry as well as the consumers could purchase insurance against catastrophic losses.
Because of the great interest shown by the insurance and financial sectors, the Stanford Office of Technology Licensing suggested to Weimin and Hemant Shah to start a company offering the models for loss estimation of rare events. The company, named Risk Management Solutions (RMS), was founded in 1988 with Hemant as the CEO and Weimin as the Chief Risk Officer. From a small beginning of four employees, the company grew to more than 1000 employees with offices in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Weimin lectured about his work all over the USA, Europe, and Asia. He was also a guest and visiting professor in Singapore.
Outside of work, Weimin loved to travel. He and Shanshan returned to China every year to meet with old friends, made their way around major cities in Europe, and also enjoyed taking cruises to see new sights with family. Weimin also loved watching sports, whether it be basketball, tennis, or snooker. Even in retirement, he kept his wits sharp, whether it be through visits to RMS or challenging himself with daily Sudoku.
Weimin had a brilliant mind and a desire for knowledge and made important contributions in the field of earthquake engineering. He possessed a great sense of responsibility and was extremely dedicated to both his family and his work. Family and friends described him as kind, reserved, disciplined, and humble; though he was a man of few words, his wisdom and intellect was clear to everyone he interacted with. The Dong Family lived in Palo Alto for almost 40 years.
Weimin is survived by his wife Shanshan, his daughter Bilei, and his three grandchildren. He is predeceased by his sister Huijuan Dong and his son Bihui.
