Angela Powers, Ph.D., Iowa State University Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication professor and former director, will retire at the end of the fall 2025 semester after 35 years in higher education.
Powers was the first female director of the Greenlee School, appointed in 2017. During her tenure, she raised the profile of the school with two national summits on technology and civility in media; increased funding for scholarships and fellowships for both students and faculty, including the Essman Award for excellence in advertising and public relations education; and increased diversity through faculty hires and student recruitment. Following her directorship, Powers developed the first online media management class at Iowa State, serving students from majors such as journalism, business and design.
During her career, she was awarded the University Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award from Northern Illinois University, the Barry Sherman Teaching Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, and a teaching fellowship from the Poynter Institute. Her students span the world and include lawyers, television anchors, journalists and university professors.
“Dr. Powers achieved the trifecta of academic accomplishment, building a well-rounded career distinguished by excellence in research, teaching and administration. Her research has advanced the field and shaped scholarly conversations well beyond the Greenlee School, while her dedication to teaching has inspired generations of students to think critically, creatively and ethically,” said Tracy Lucht, professor and interim director of the Greenlee School.
Powers served as associate editor of the Nordic Journal of Media Management and on numerouseditorial boards, including those for the Journal of Media Business Studies and the International Journal on Media Management. She was elected to serve on a national accreditation committee (Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication) and was co-chair of a national Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication presidential task force on diverse graduate study. She was also an active member of the World Media Economics and Management Conference.
Powers’ research included two edited books and more than 80 refereed presentations and publications in journals such as the Journal of Media Economics, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly and Newspaper Research Journal. She also presented research at national conferences with Iowa State graduate and undergraduate honors students on topics such as family-owned media and peace journalism. Her international experience included a research fellowship at the Jönköping International Business School in Sweden, two Fulbright Scholarships at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania and CARIMAC in Jamaica, as well as a visiting scholar appointment at Cairo University. Powers is also professor emerita at Kansas State University, where she served as the director of the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.
Reflecting on the next phase, Powers said, “Rather than retiring from ISU, I like to think I am retiring to my family and friends, my research projects on peace journalism and my connections with the many students and colleagues whom I also call friends.”