Dr. Christianna Nichols Leahy, an associate professor of political science, was named the 1994 Distinguished Teacher at Western Maryland College during the annual Senior Investiture and Honors Convocation Sunday.

Dr. Leahy, who came to the college in 1984, is known for her volunteer work with Amnesty International, where she is one of 120 experts concerned with human rights records of various nations.

Dr. Leahy earned her bachelor's degree from American University and her master's and doctorate in comparative politics from Georgetown University. Her scholarly interests are comparative politics and international relations.

She teaches courses in comparative politics in Western Europe, developing nations and the post-Communist world, and the methodology of comparative politics and introductory political science.

She wrote her doctoral dissertation on Portugal's transition from a fascist to democratic society. She also has written about her research, most recently on her trip to Cuba with a group of Western Maryland students in January.

For the past seven years, Dr. Leahy has assisted Amnesty International in relaying news about human rights in the African nations of Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Sao Tome and Principe.

She also has directed WMC's Study Abroad program and is campus adviser to Amnesty International's student chapter.

Dr. Leahy is a member of the African Studies Association, the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs and the International Conference Group on Modern Portugal. She and her husband live in Cockeysville.