WEISS, Bernard J. (University of Illinois), Professor of History. Dr. Weiss’s reputation as the Department of History’s permiere teacher was solidified in the spring of 2001 when he was awarded both the McAnulty College and Graduate School’s and the University’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. His classes, whether the core, Western Civ II, surveys of European history and the Middle East, or topical courses on the Holocaust and Political Leadership, are always filled to capacity and beyond. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities to examine the question of ethnicity in both the Near East and the Soviet Union and he brings his findings to his students. Recognized as an expert on the contemporary Middle East, he has been a frequent commentator on issues related to the region on television, radio, and in public lectures.