Oral Roberts University is not unfamiliar territory to Dr. Angela Watson as she once
walked the halls as a student in the Graduate Education program. During her studies
at ORU, she developed a strong identity with the people and vision of the University.
Completing a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration at ORU, she continued on
to receive a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Oklahoma State University. Now, Dr.
Angela Watson returns to ORU as an Assistant Professor in Behavioral Sciences, and
she states she is happy to be back.
As with most professors, her days are filled with prep work, classes, meetings and
office hours, but even in the busyness of each day, she enjoys the people who comprise
the ORU community. Describing ORU students as passionate, sincere and honorable, she
desires to impart to her students an understanding of what is unique about their own
purpose. She also wants to encourage them to develop their potentialities in a way
that will be a blessing to themselves, others and the Lord.
Along a similar school of thought, Dr. Watson is revisiting the seminal book, “Learned
Optimism,” by Martin Seligman, who is considered to be the father of positive psychology.
Dr. Seligman extensively studied cognitive behavior and the role thoughts play in
informing our quality of life. Perhaps the most relevant interpretation of this material
for her is how the findings further validate the importance of renewing one’s mind
in order to be transformed. She states, “I think it’s lovely when secular research
is able to confirm biblical truths that we’ve learned from the Holy Spirit.”
Dr. Watson is also involved as a consultant for Summit Christian Academy elementary
school in Broken Arrow, which is a marvelous learning community of intelligent, creative,
and godly teachers, learners, families, and administrators. When not teaching, consulting
or reading, Dr. Watson enjoys spending time with her husband, Dr. Edward Watson, who
is also a professor at ORU in the Graduate Theology department, and her fabulous children.
