Image of Dr. Samuel Mindes outdoors in a blue shirt.

Dr. Samuel Mindes

Pronouns
he/him/his
Position
  • Assistant Professor
Dr. Samuel Mindes is an Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Iowa State University, and a Fellow at the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (2024–2026). He previously served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor and Extension Sociologist at ISU, and held research and teaching appointments at the University of Idaho and Washington State University.

Contact

Email
smindes@iastate.edu
Phone
515-294-2556
316 East Hall
510 Farm House Lane
Ames
,
Iowa
50011
Social Media and Websites

Education

  • Ph.D., Sociology, Michigan State University, 2019
  • M.A., Sociology, Michigan State University, 2015
  • B.A., Sociology, Calvin College, 2011

Affiliations

More About Dr. Mindes

Teaching

Dr. Mindes teaches foundational and topical sociology courses, including racial and ethnic studies, globalization and development, rural studies, and community sociology. He designs applied, student-centered courses that connect learners to real-world challenges through data, media, and community engagement. His teaching integrates innovative pedagogy, technology, and active learning strategies to enhance student experience and outcomes.

His teaching has been recognized with:

  • Excellence in Instruction Award, Rural Sociological Society (2025)
  • Teaching Innovation Award, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Iowa State University (2023)

Research

Dr. Mindes’s research focuses on strategic rural systems and structural development—how infrastructure, inequality, and community dynamics interact to shape resilience and opportunity in rural America and beyond. He examines how housing, water, and digital access systems influence community viability, and how race, migration, and representation shape access to development opportunities. His scholarship spans migration studies, global sociology, population studies, community development, and economic sociology. His research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, and has been published in high-impact outlets, including Rural Sociology, Ethnicities, Sociological Perspectives, and the Journal of Extension.

Recent publications...

  • Mindes, Samuel C.H. and Katherine Dentzman. 2026. “The Importance of Social Capital and Community Dynamics for Effective Extension Programming.” Journal of Extension. (Forthcoming)
  • Dentzman, K. and Samuel C.H. Mindes. 2026 “Pesticide Resistance and Community Collapse: The Vicious Cycle of Rural Disintegration and Agricultural Expansion.” Journal of Rural Studies, 121. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103933 (free early access link)
  • Mindes, Samuel C.H. “Rural–urban disparities in work disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Brief 2025-3. Rural Population Research Network. link: https://rprn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/RB_Mindes_2025-3.pdf
  • Mindes, Samuel C.H. 2024. “Self-employment, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rural-urban divide in the United States.” Rural Sociology, 89(2):214-38. doi: 10.1111/ruso.12534
  • Mindes, Samuel C.H., & Paul Lewin. 2024. “The intersectional dimensions of Hispanic immigrant women’s entrepreneurship propensities.” Journal of Small Business Management, 62(5):2181-2210. doi: 10.1080/00472778.2023.2208629

Recently funded projects...