James Naus

James has been chair of the history department at Oakland University since 2018.  In this role, he oversees the daily administration of the department as well as the development and implementation of new initiatives.  He is also responsible for the recruitment and retention of faculty and students. For the past several years, much of his time has been devoted to navigating the particular challenges brought on by COVID and managing a department through a period of contraction.

James earned his B.A. in history and political science from Duquesne University.  He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Saint Louis University.  He has held faculty appointments at Saint Louis University and Oakland University.  In addition to his administrative role, James has published significantly in the fields of medieval and religious history.