J. Tom Mueller

J. Tom Mueller is an Assistant Professor of Population Health and Director of the Kansas Center for Rural Health at the University of Kansas Medical Center. His research focuses on rural sociology, demography, and public health, with a particular emphasis on understanding health disparities, environmental challenges, and socioeconomic inequalities in rural America. He examines topics such as Medicaid expansion impacts, food/water insecurity, climate change beliefs, and the role of natural resource dependence in economic development.

Dr. Mueller’s work addresses critical issues including:

• Ethnoracial diversity trends in rural and urban regions
• Poverty dynamics and spatial inequality
• Critical infrastructure gaps and environmental justice
• Covid-19 pandemic impacts on rural health and labor markets

His forthcoming book, The Case for Rural America (2025), synthesizes findings from over two decades of research. Recent publications emphasize policy solutions for addressing systemic inequities in rural healthcare access, environmental resource management, and post-pandemic recovery strategies.

Key themes in his research include:

His research has been published in leading journals across sociology, public health, and environmental science, demonstrating interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex rural challenges.