History Major

Dr. Ayabe was named Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2020. He joined Simpson University in 2009 and has served with distinction, earning the Faculty of the Year award in 2014-15 and chairing the Student Research Symposium since its inception in 2011. He has also served as chair of the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts and as chair of the Department of History and Political Science.

Dr. Ayabe received his training in United States history with an emphasis on the religious and cultural history of early America. He has long been fascinated by popular expressions of Christianity — both individually and corporately. Much of his work explores the dynamic relationship between religious organizations and society.

His scholarly interests include the history of Christian thought, American evangelicalism, frontier religion of the early Midwest, American missions and revivalism, and the exegetical writings of Jonathan Edwards.

Timothy J. Orr, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of History and Department Chair of the History and Political Science Department at Simpson University. He holds an undergraduate degree from John Brown University, MA from the University of Tulsa, and PH.D. from Baylor University. His research focuses on gender, displacement, and identify formation in early-modern Europe. He has published in Church History and Religious Culture, Crossing Borders, and the Cambridge Contextual volumes on both Martin Luther and John Calvin. He is a regular presenter at The Sixteenth Century Society Conference. In his free time, he enjoys exploring the natural beauty of Northern California and indulging in its culinary offerings.

Dr. Orr's Curriculum Vitae (CV)