Dennis Power, PhD - President

Dr. Power came to Laguna College from the Oakland Museum of California. From 1994 to 2005 he was the executive director of the museum, an institution that has collections, exhibitions, and educational programs focusing on the art, history, and natural environment of the state.

Dennis’ background is in both art and science, although natural science was his main emphasis. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in biology from Occidental College in Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Kansas, Lawrence. He was executive director of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History from 1972 to 1994, and from 1967 to 1972 was on the curatorial staff of the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. Research and writing interests have been primarily in the area of evolutionary biology, island ecology, and ornithology. He was the editor of The California Islands: Proceedings of a Multidisciplinary Symposium published in 1980 and was the series editor for Current Ornithology from 1989 to 1995.

Dennis is a native Californian, raised in Los Angeles. He and his wife Leslie have four children and two grandchildren. The Powers’ interests include travel, skiing, and sailing. Their first backpacking trip together was to the Yosemite High Sierra Camps.

+ Return to Board of Trustees