Erin and Mary Power Endowed Faculty Scholar

Mary Power, ’90, and Erin Power established the Erin and Mary Power Endowed Faculty Scholar in the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine in 2024. Their decision to support veterinary teaching excellence was driven by Erin’s passion for animals and animal rescue advocacy. The Powers are longstanding donors to Oregon State University, especially focused on supporting business students and female student-athletes in addition to OSU’s veterinary program.

Mary studied psychology at Oregon State and then spent more than half her life working at the renowned consumer satisfaction rating company J.D. Power and Associates. Her father, J.D. Power, created the company at their kitchen table in 1968 (Mary’s mother, Julie, initially assisted with research while the children stuffed envelopes with consumer surveys, enclosing a quarter to encourage responses). Mary rose to the position of senior research manager of the international firm, overseeing customer studies in hotel, rental car, airline and airport industries. Today she is director of the Kenrose Kitchen Table Foundation, a family foundation that supports medical research, entrepreneurship and education. Mary has raised two children and been engaged as an OSU Foundation trustee as well as a volunteer leader for community organizations.

“My time and education at OSU has continuously opened doors throughout my life, inspiring me to create a relationship with the university that lasts a lifetime,” says Mary. “It’s incumbent upon me to give back for others to experience similar opportunities.”