USU Tooele Associate Professor Named History Department Teacher of the Year

TOOELE, Utah — Robert J. Mueller, an associate professor of history at Utah State University Tooele, has been named USU Department of History Teacher of the Year. Mueller, who teaches courses in medieval and early modern European history, as well as the history of western civilization, is now a finalist for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Teacher of the Year award, which will be announced during the spring semester.

“Dr. Mueller's dedication to excellence in teaching, his unwavering support for students, and his outstanding contributions to both the campus and the Tooele community have earned him this well-deserved recognition,” said Jenn Cowburn, associate vice president for USU Tooele. “Through his passion for history and commitment to academic success, Dr. Mueller has inspired countless students to develop critical thinking skills and a deep appreciation for historical knowledge. Beyond the classroom, his active engagement and leadership have enriched our community and strengthened the educational opportunities available in Tooele.”

Mueller has been a member of the USU Tooele faculty since 2010. He began his teaching career at the University of California at Santa Barbara as a graduate student. After earning his Ph.D., Mueller would join USU Statewide Campuses as an assistant professor at USU Uintah Basin in 1997. He served as the assistant history department head for Regional Campuses [now Statewide Campuses] for 12 years. He is honored to be recognized by his colleagues in the history department.

“I am so grateful to my colleagues in the history department for this honor,” Mueller said. “I work with an amazing group of scholars for whom I have an enormous amount of respect. That they chose me for this award means more than I can say.”

History holds a special place in Mueller’s heart, as he loves learning about the people of the past and the challenges they have faced and overcome. He enjoys sharing these stories of both triumph and hardship with his students.

“I try to show their struggles and their solutions to problems to my students,” he said. “If students can conceptualize the lives of a medieval peasant or townsperson, I think they can better empathize with people of today. We live in a world of wonders, but we frequently lose sight of that. Seeing how people used to live can offer us a valuable perspective.”

Mueller loves working out of the Tooele campus. Through his nearly three decades at the campus, he has loved to see how technology has improved his courses, and how the department and campus has grown in the area.

“The Tooele campus has always provided me with the tools to do my job exceedingly well, especially the tools of cutting edge technology,” Mueller said. “This has allowed me to add digital images and videos to my courses, as well as assisted me in creating better discussions with my students.”

Mueller holds a doctorate in history from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a bachelor’s degree in Classics from UC-Irvine.

Located in the valley of the Oquirrh Mountains, Utah State University Tooele offers students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees, plus technical education offerings, USU Tooele offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at tooele.usu.edu.