Professor/Chair: School of Science
“University academics will challenge you. If you prepare yourself, you will succeed! One of the most valuable lessons learned at MACU is that God loves you completely, just as you are, and sees the potential in all of us that we cannot see in ourselves.“
Dr. Harold Kihega is a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe (Jiwere-Nut’achi) of Oklahoma. He joined Mid-America Christian University in 2016. Prior to 2016, Dr. Kihega taught at The University of Oklahoma, Northern Oklahoma College, Hutchinson Community College, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Institute of American Indian Arts, and Oklahoma City Community College. He began his academic career at Cameron University and earned his Bachelor of Science degree. He later attended the University of Central Oklahoma, earning his Master’s Degree. His doctoral work began at the University of Montana where he was a Sloan and MEID-NSF Scholar. He completed his PhD at The University of Oklahoma, served on the Graduate Student Senate, and during his dissertation writing he earned the Rainer Fellowship from the American Indian Graduate Center.
Dr. Kihega developed the Bachelor of Science Biology program at MACU and continues to develop new courses to meet the needs of students. He also serves as the Chair for the School of Science, where he has developed partnerships with Oklahoma State University College of Health Sciences, The University of Arkansas, and is currently exploring summer research opportunities with The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He is also active in grant writing; he is currently serving as Co-Principle Investigator for a USDA grant to bring science curriculum to rural classrooms for underrepresented groups. He is also serving as the Principle Investigator for the USDA grant phase II, which offers concurrent courses to rural schools in Oklahoma. Recently, he was appointed as Co-Director of the Minority Institution Research Collaborative at the University of Arkansas – Ceballos Laboratory.
When Dr. Kihega is not working on the development of the biology program he enjoys working out at the gym. He also enjoys rowing; in fact, he is currently approaching one million meters rowed since June 2020. Since he has previous federal law enforcement experience, he also trains with firearms and meets with other faculty and administrators from other state colleges and universities with similar interests. His wife is also active in the science field as a Respiratory Therapist at Oklahoma University Medical Center. They enjoy going to their son’s cross-country track meets across the state of Oklahoma. Relaxing at home and spending time with their two dogs, Maggie and Murphy, is also at the top of their list of things to do.
