Rural Health Webinar Series
This webinar is Part 5 of our 2026 Rural Health Webinar Series. Attend at least four of our five sessions, complete a brief knowledge check and earn an AHCJ Certification in Covering Rural Health for your resume. Learn more »
In the fifth and final webinar of AHCJ’s 2026 Rural Health Webinar Series, moderator Jared Ewy of Yonder Radio spoke with rural sociologist and University of Kansas professor J. Tom Mueller about his book, “The Case for Rural America,” and its key takeaways for health reporters. They examined why rural communities matter, how common assumptions about rural America can distort policy and reporting, and what Mueller believes could help rural communities remain viable.
Jared Ewy
Radio host, The Daily Yonder
After an attempt to play college football disabused him of the notion that he was a battering ram, Jared Ewy made the leap into radio. From the Four Corners, he worked his way to Denver before taking on an opportunity to work with Bob Newhart and, in turn, launch a comedy career. Incredibly poor, he would join a tech startup and help build it into a company on the Nasdaq. From there, Ewy has focused on helping nonprofits like Ability Connection Colorado share the work they do, as well as syndicate Yonder Radio, a show that amplifies rural stories and is syndicated across the country. Ewy continues to tell stories on stage. He’s won Denver’s Moth Story Slam seven times and is currently the back-to-back Moth Grand Slam Champion. He lives in Colorado with his wife, three kids and too many pets.
J. Tom Mueller, Ph.D.
Director, Kansas Center for Rural Health
Assistant professor, University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Population Health
J. Tom Mueller, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Population Health and Director of the Kansas Center for Rural Health at the University of Kansas Medical Center. As a rural sociologist and demographer, he studies the geography of well-being and the environment in rural America. Dr. Mueller’s work focuses on three primary areas: health and well-being in rural America, (2) environmental injustice and environmental health, and (3) the measurement and tracking of poverty across space.
Dr. Mueller has published his work in leading outlets such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; American Journal of Public Health; Nature Water; Nature Communications; Demography; and Rural Sociology, among others. Dr. Mueller pursues and receives funding from a variety of sources including the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Mueller is the author of “The Case for Rural America“.
