W. Michael Weis is Professor of History. His Environmental Studies course Modern Brazil (History 360) focuses on the use of land and the development of the Brazilian nation and culture from 1500 to the present.  Making use of his extensive travel throughout the entire country over three decades, Modern Brazil examines the environmental "conquest" begun by the Portuguese that continues to this day.  A specialist in Brazilian-American relations and Pan Americanism, his research focuses on political, economic, and environmental issues, including the development and destruction of the Amazon.