Oklahoma Baptist University’s Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences welcomes Dr. Amadi Amaitsa, a scholar specializing in twentieth-century American religious history, culture and evangelicalism, Dr. Kyle Clayton as director of online undergraduate programs and assistant professor of educational psychology, and Dr. Nathan Holm as visiting assistant professor of political science.

Dr. Amadi Amaitsa

Amaitsa, who earned his doctorate in history from Baylor University in 2024, has focused his research on evangelicalism, Mormonism and anti-Mormonism in the United States from the 1950s to the 1980s. His work includes contributions to Baylor University’s “Institute for Oral History” collection and the “Century of Black Mormons” database.

“I am excited to be joining a scholarly community that not only prioritizes the spiritual and intellectual formation of students but also cares about fostering meaningful relationships among faculty and students,” Amaitsa said. “I look forward to sharing my passion for history with students and helping them understand how the study of the past and other people’s stories can help us better love our neighbors who may not look or think like us.”

Amaitsa’s role at OBU will include teaching a broad range of history courses, including western civilization courses as part of OBU’s core curriculum. He will also advise history majors and teach upper-level courses in American and non-western history topics.

Prior to joining OBU, Amaitsa was a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Baylor, where he taught courses on U.S. history and religion. He previously taught as an online course instructor at the University of Utah and has presented at academic conferences on topics ranging from Cold War religious movements to race and religion in America.

A recipient of Baylor’s Graduate School Presidential Fellowship, Amaitsa has been recognized for excellence in teaching. His scholarship includes reviews in The Journal of Presbyterian History and The Society for US Intellectual History.

Beyond academia, Amaitsa serves on the board of Amani Fellowship, a nonprofit supporting widows and orphans in Kenya. He and his wife, Delila, recently traveled to Kenya to conduct a worship event and meetings with the organization’s leadership.

Dr. Kyle Clayton

Clayton brings nearly a decade of combined experience in instructional design and higher education teaching to his new role.

Clayton joined OBU after working as an instructional designer with Epic Charter Schools and the University of Oklahoma. In those roles, he collaborated with faculty and subject matter experts to create effective, student-centered online content, with a focus on course accessibility, cognitive clarity and interactive design. His work included developing specialized curriculum, such as multimedia-enhanced American Sign Language courses.

From 2016 to 2021, Clayton served as a graduate teaching assistant in educational psychology at Oklahoma State University, where he also earned his doctorate in the field. He has taught a range of courses, developed aligned instructional materials, and contributed to academic research through data analysis and conference presentations.

Earlier in his career, Clayton worked as a case manager at Edwin Fair Community Mental Health Center, supporting clients with mental health needs and connecting them to local resources.

He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and a B.A. in Psychology from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in counseling from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

“I’m thrilled to join Oklahoma Baptist University as director of online undergraduate programs and assistant professor of educational psychology. It’s an honor to contribute to a Christ-centered community committed to academic excellence and student success in both the classroom and the online learning environment.”

Dr. Nathan Holm

Originally from Illinois, Holm said he is eager to teach at a Christian university for the first time, where he can freely integrate politics and faith in the classroom.

“A major reason why I began to study politics and governance was understanding the old aphorism attributed to Pericles: ‘Just because you do not take an interest in politics, does not mean politics will not take an interest in you,’” said Holm, who will teach political science courses. “I found myself engrossed in the problem-solving nature of politics and found enjoyment in teaching as well.”

Holm earned his master’s degree in political science from Northern Illinois University and his doctorate from Southern Illinois University. His dissertation examined Second Amendment precedent following the NYSRPA v. Bruen decision.

He spent the past year teaching at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. He said his teaching career has felt like “stepping stones falling into place at the right time” and believes it is part of God’s plan.

“I look forward to serving at OBU,” Holm said, “and to the opportunity to connect faith and political thought in meaningful ways.”