Dr. James Power
Dr. James R. Power joined the Department of Social Work faculty in 2017. An Iowa native, he studied at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine earning a degree in Anthropology with a minor in Economics. As part of his undergraduate education, Dr. Power lived and studied in Botswana.
Dr. Power then earned his MSW from the University of Iowa-Des Moines, in the Family-Centered Care concentration. He completed his advanced placement at Des Moines University in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology. He held an APSW license in Wisconsin since 2017.
Dr. Power earned his Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Iowa, completing coursework in social work, sociology, psychology, and education. He is trained as a Gerontologist and holds an Aging Studies Certificate. After graduation, Dr. Power relocated to a rural Iowa community. For eight years, he worked as a hospice social worker where he had the opportunity to work with hundreds of clients and families.
Dr. Power completed his dissertation entitled: Adult children with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder: Family Case Studies in Social Support (2009). His research and teaching interests included end-of-life care, death, dying and bereavement, gerontology, qualitative research, healthcare, social work ethics, mental health advocacy and policy. He authored as well as co-authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and presented at state and national conferences.
During his time at UWO, Dr. Power has conducted several qualitative research studies, including Hospice Social Workers: The Personal Death Experience and Rural, Older Funeral Directors: Capturing Lived Experience through Oral Histories.
Dr. Power is known for his engaging and at times humorous teaching style. He is passionate about having his students thrive in his courses and at UWO. He has demonstrated commitment to UWO and the greater community. He is an active member in The Rotary Club of Oshkosh.
Dr. Power established this scholarship in 2023 in memory of his father. Attorney J. Edward Power was an exceptional example of how a legal professional should serve one’s clients. He practiced for over forty years in the same law firm. He was known throughout Iowa and the nation for his work as a probate attorney. He advocated for his clients regardless of their socio-economic status. He served his nation for over twenty years in the United States Navy as a Commander in the JAG Corps. Dr. James R. Power modeled his life as a person, social worker, and educator based upon the example of how his father lived.