Who We Are: McDaniel Faculty

An expert in international politics who encourages students to participate in their communities locally and globally. Christianna Leahy, Ph.D. Professor of Political Science and International Studies

"What I have tried to do in the past 38 years of teaching is to impart the values of participatory engagement in governance and the will to be change agents in the world."

A writing program administrator who is fascinated by the breadth, depth, and nuances of rhetoric and composition. Alexander Champoux-Crowley, Ph.D. Lecturer in English and Director of First-Year Composition

"McDaniel’s small size and liberal arts focus makes it easy to collaborate across departments and make new connections."

Photo of professor Maureen Williams in a tie-dyed lab coat sitting in a science lab.

An intrepid zoologist who is fascinated by the complex world of parasites and wants students to think about nature’s interconnections. Maureen Williams, Ph.D. Lecturer in Biology

“Biology is all about interactions and the liberal arts is all about overlapping and interacting knowledge."

An educator and engineer who thinks critically to solve challenging problems to improve life for everyone. Farzad Ahmadi, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Physics

"I think educating science is much more important that just doing the science."

An historian who brings the past into the present in engaging ways to show its relevancy today. Jillian Bjerke, Ph.D. Lecturer in History

"I hope students leave my courses with the understanding that the premodern past can be engaging, fun, and relevant."

A welcoming, adept, and conscientious data analyst who applies her skills with data to interdisciplinary studies. Xuejing Duan, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Data Analytics

"No matter if you are in the field of education, or psychology, or computer science, most researchers need data."

An experimental psychologist who teaches students to explore the science behind learning and behavior. Maggie McDevitt, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology

"Psychology trains you to think critically, which never stops being useful."

A mathematician who sees math as a chance to form connections with each other. Jon Epstein, Ph.D. Lecturer in Mathematics

"Mathematics has such depth, and yet it arises from very simple, even naïve, questions about our experience of the world."

A philosopher who examines contemporary life to explore social and political structures, marginalized identities, and Black feminism. Shaeeda Mensah, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Philosophy

"Philosophy undergirds so much of what we do, just in terms of critical thinking."

An expert on Latin American culture who uses language to introduce students to new worlds. Magdalena Olivares, Ph.D. Lecturer in Spanish

"What made me choose McDaniel was the diversity of the student body and its strong commitment to liberal arts."

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