Jennifer A. Kowalkowski

Jennifer A. Kowalkowski, MPH, Ph.D., RN, serves as an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at Pennsylvania State University, where she operates as a population health nurse scientist investigating sociocultural contexts affecting rural populations' health outcomes and systemic disparities in mental well-being across the rural-urban continuum.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2021)
• M.P.H. in Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2010)
• M.S. in Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2010)
• B.S. in Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2005)

Dr. Kowalkowski's research examines structural barriers to health access through interdisciplinary community-based mixed-methods investigations conducted with local stakeholders in rural settings. Her work specifically analyzes social determinants of health, occupational stress among agricultural producers, and contextual factors influencing mental well-being, aiming to develop tailored evidence-based interventions for improved risk prediction and early health resource access. This approach bridges nursing science with public health to address systemic disparities in underserved rural communities.