Keith Mueller, Gerhard Hartman Professor and head of the Department of Health Management and Policy in the College of Public Health, was one of six University of Iowa faculty members honored with the 2016 Board of Regents Award for Faculty Excellence. The UI’s annual Faculty and Staff Awards Banquet was held on Oct. 8, sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Human Resources.

Mueller is one of the nation’s leading experts in rural health services and policy. His service to rural communities includes sitting on the board of the Iowa Rural Health Association (of which he was president in 2015) and working with the Iowa Hospital Association to provide guidance to Iowa hospitals. He has served as president of the National Rural Health Association and is a member of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services.

As director (since 2000) of the Rural Policy Research Institute Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, he has increased the center’s funding portfolio to create additional research opportunities for faculty, staff, and students. Under his leadership, the department has grown in numbers, reinforced its commitment to the success of junior faculty members, and implemented two new degree programs.

View a full listing of 2016 UI faculty and staff awards.