Jennifer Karas Montez

• 2024 Spring
  • SOC 714 Intermediate Social Statistics
• 2022 Fall
  • SOC 813 Advanced Social Statistics
• 2022 Spring
  • SOC 714 Intermediate Social Statistics

Jennifer Karas Montez earned a Ph.D. in sociology with a demography specialization from the University of Texas at Austin in 2011. Afterwards, she spent two years at the Harvard School of Public Health as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar, and then two years at Case Western Reserve University as an assistant professor of sociology, before joining the Department of Sociology at Syracuse University. 

Montez’s research investigates the troubling trends in population health in the United States since the 1980s and the growing influence of state policies and politics on those trends. A major focus of this work has been understanding why the trends are particularly worrisome for women, for people without a college degree, and for those living in states in the South and Midwest. Her research has been funded by the NIH, NSF, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship. 

Montez directs the NIA-funded Center for Aging and Policy Studies, co-directs the NIA-funded Network on Life Course Health Dynamics and Disparities, and co-directs the Policy, Place, and Population Health (P3H) Lab at Syracuse University. She serves on the board of directors of the Population Association of America and Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science; and serves on the editorial boards of Demography, Journal of Health and Social Behavior and the Milbank Quarterly.

"Network on Life Course Health Dynamics and Disparities in 21st Century America", Sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH)/DHHS.

"Geographic Trends And Disparities In Psychosocial Wellbeing, Health Behaviors, And Mortality In Midlife", Sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH)/DHHS.

"States' COVID-19 Mitigation Policies and Psychological Health, Drug Overdose, and Suicide among U.S. Adults", Sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH)/DHHS.

"Center for Aging and Policy Studies", Sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH)/DHHS.

"Network on Life Course Health Dynamics and Disparities in 21st Century America", Sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH)/DHHS.

"Local Initiatives, State Preemption, and Public Health", Sponsored by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"U.S. State Contextual Data Resources for Aging Research", Sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH)/DHHS.

"Political Economy and Death: Deregulation, Devolution, and Death in America", Sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

"Educational Attainment, Geography, and U.S. Adult Mortality Risk", Sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH)/DHHS.

• Journal Articles
  • Wolf, D. A., Monnat, S. M., Wiemers, E. E., Sun, Y., Zhang, X., Grossman, E. R. and Montez, J. K., "States COVID-19 Policies and Drug Overdose Mortality among Working-Age Adults in the United States, 2020." American Journal of Public Health, 2024.
  • Montez, J. K., Bisesti, E. M., "Widening Educational Disparities in Health and Longevity.." Annual Review of Sociology, 2024.
  • Chatterji, P., Glenn, H., Markowitz, S. and Montez, J. K., "Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion and Maternal Morbidity." Health Economics, 2023.
  • Monnat, S. M., Wheeler, D. C., Wiemers, E. E., Sun, Y., Sun, X., Wolf, D. A. and Montez, J. K., "Associations between U.S. States' COVID-19 Physical Distancing Policies and Working Age Adult Mental Health Outcomes." Preventive Medicine Reports, 2023.
  • Montez, J. K., Cheng, K. J. and Grumbach, J. M., "Electoral Democracy and Working-age Mortality." The Milbank Quarterly, 2023.
  • McFarland, M., Hill, T. and Montez, J. K., "Income Inequality and Population Health: Examining the Role of Social Policy." Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 2023.
  • Montez, J. K., Grumbach, J. M., "U.S. State Policy Contexts and Population Health." The Milbank Quarterly, 2023.
  • Montez, J. K., Cheng, K. J., "Educational Disparities in Adult Health across U.S. States: Larger Disparities Reflect Economic Factors." Frontiers in Public Health, 2022.
  • Kemp, B., Grumbach, J. M. and Montez, J. K., "State Policy Contexts and Physical Health among Midlife Adults." Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 2022.
  • Sheehan, C., Zajacova, A., Connor, D. and Montez, J., "State-level Variation in the Association between Educational Attainment and Sleep." Population Research and Policy Review, 2022.
  • Wolf, D. A., Montez, J. K. and Monnat, S. M., "U.S. State Preemption Laws and Working-Age Mortality." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2022.
  • Montez, J. K., Mehri, N., Monnat, S. M., Beckfield, J., Chapman, D., Grumbach, J. M., Hayward, M. D., Woolf, S. H. and Zajacova, A., "U.S. state policy contexts and mortality of working-age adults." PLoS ONE, 2022.
  • Burgard, S., Montez, J., Ailshire, J. and Hummer, R. A., "Aging Policy from a Multilayered Geographic and Life Course Perspective." Public Policy & Aging Report, 2021.
  • Montez, J., Farina, M., "Do Liberal State Policies Maximize Life Expectancy?." Public Policy & Aging Report, 2021.
  • Montez, J., Hayward, M. D. and Zajacova, A., "Trends in US Population Health: The Central Role of Policies, Politics, and Profits." Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 2021.
  • Farina, M., Zajacova, A., Montez, J. and Hayward, M. D., "US State Disparities in Life Expectancy, Disability-Free Life Expectancy, and Disabled Life Expectancy Among Adults Aged 25-89." American Journal of Public Health, 2021.
  • Wolf, D. A., Monnat, S. M. and Montez, J. K., "Effects of US state preemption laws on infant mortality." Preventive Medicine, 2021.
  • Carr, D., Adler, S., Winig, B. D. and Montez, J., "Equity-First: A Normative Framework for Assessing the Role of Preemption in Public Health." The Milbank Quarterly, 2020.
  • Montez, J., "Examining Population Health Across US States Using Secondary Data, Logistic Regression, and Graphics." SAGE Research Methods Cases: Medicine and Health, 2020.
  • Montez, J., "Policy Polarization and Death in the United States." Temple Law Review, 2020.
  • Montez, J., "US State Polarization, Policymaking Power, and Population Health." The Milbank Quarterly, 2020.
  • Montez, J., Beckfield, J., Cooney, J. K., Grumbach, J. M., Hayward, M. D., Koytak, H. Z., Woolf, S. H. and Zajacova, A., "US State Policies, Politics, and Life Expectancy." The Milbank Quarterly, 2020.
  • Kemp, B., Montez, J., "Why Does the Importance of Education for Health Differ Across the United States?." Socius, 2020.
  • Montez, J., Zajacova, A., Hayward, M. D., Woolf, S. H., Chapman, D. and Beckfield, J., "Educational Disparities in Adult Mortality across U.S. States: How Do They Differ and Have They Changed Since the Mid-1980s?." Demography, 2019.
  • Montez, J., Hayward, M. D. and Zajacova, A., "Educational Disparities in U.S. Adult Health: U.S. States as Institutional Actors on the Association." Socius, 2019.
• Book Chapters
  • Montez, J., Brooks, J. D., "Educational Attainment and Adult Health." In 9th Edition of Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. F., C. (eds.) , 2021.
  • Montez, J., Schwartz, A. E., "Education." In Urban Health. Galea, S., Ettman, C. and Vlahov, D. (eds.) Oxford University Press, 2019.
  • Montez, J., Hayward, M. D., "Early Life Conditions and Later Life Mortality." In International Handbook of Adult Mortality. Rogers, R. G., Crimmins, E. M. (eds.) Springer Publishers, 2011.
• Blog
  • Montez, J., Beckfield, J., "Here’s Why the US is Failing to Thrive." Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care Blog, 2020.
• Commentary
  • Montez, J. K., "10 Ways to Better Understand How Shifting State Policy Contexts Affect Americans’ Health.." Milbank Quarterly - Opinion, 2024.
• Editorial
  • Montez, J. K., Weaks, F., "Preemption and Public Health." The Local Power & Politics Review, 2022.
• Other
  • Melton-Fant, C. and Montez, J., "Addressing Health Equity in the New Preemption Era." Health Affairs, 2021.
• Policy Brief
  • Montez, J., Zajacova, "Why Have Educational Disparities in Mortality Increased Among White Women in the United States?." JHSB Policy Brief, 2013.
• Research Briefs
  • Montez, J., Mehri and Monnat, "Conservative State Policies Contribute to Higher Mortality Rates among Working-Age Americans." Lerner/CAPS Research Brief #80, 2022.
  • Wolf, Monnat and Montez, J., "Allowing cities to raise the minimum wage could save over 600 infant lives annually." Syracuse University Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, 2021.
  • Montez, J., "The Rise of U.S. States and the Decline in U.S. Life Expectancy." ASA Footnotes, 2021.
  • Montez, J., "Conservative State Policies Damage US Life Expectancy." Syracuse University Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, 2020.
  • Montez, J., "Education and Health Disparity Across the US." Published in Scientia, by Science Diffusion, 2018.
  • Montez, J., "How state preemption laws prevent cities from taking steps to improve health and life expectancy." Scholars Strategy Network, Key Findings Brief, 2018.
  • Montez, J., Wolf and Hayward, "How do U.S. States Influence their Residents’ Health and Longevity?." Scholars Strategy Network, Key Findings Brief, 2017.
• SU Lerner Center, Population Health Research Brief Series
  • Wolf, D. A., Monnat, S. M., Montez, J. K., Wiemers, E. E. and Grossman, E. R., States’ COVID-19 Restrictions were Associated with Increases in Drug Overdose Deaths in 2020. SU Lerner Center, 2024.
  • Chatterji, P., Glenn, H., Markowitz, S. and Montez, J. K., ACA Medicaid Expansions Did Not Significantly Improve Maternal Morbidity. SU Lerner Center, Population Health Research Brief Series, 2023.
  • Montez, J. K., Cheng, K. J. and Grumbach, J. M., Democratic Erosion Predicts Rising Deaths from Drug Poisoning and Infectious Disease. SU Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series, 2023.
  • Wolf, D. A., Montez, J. K. and Monnat, S. M., "Allowing Employers to Mandate Paid Sick Leave Could Reduce Deaths among Working-Age Adults." Lerner/CAPS Research Brief #191, 2022.
  • Kemp, B., Grumbach, J. M. and Montez, J. K., "Civil Rights, Firearm Safety, and Environmental Protections Predict Better Health among Midlife Adults." Lerner/CAPS Research Brief #70, 2022.
  • Mehri, N., Montez, J. K., "The Chances of Dying Young Differ Dramatically Across U.S. States." Lerner/CAPS Data Slice #54, 2022.

Population Reference Bureau, "(INVITED) U.S. State Policy Contexts and Population Health" (November, 2024 - November, 2024)

(INVITED) Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, "Intervening to Save Lives: A Reflection on Policies and Programs Needed to Reverse the Life Expectancy Decline" (September, 2024 - September, 2024)

Montez, J. K., Monnat, S. M., Wiemers, E. E., Wolf, D. A., Zhang, X., Population Association of America, "Stability and Volatility in the Contextual Predictors of Working-age Deaths in the United States" (April, 2024 - April, 2024)

Wolf, D. A., Monnat, S. M., Wiemers, E. E., Sun, Y., Zhang, X., Grossman, E. R., Montez, J. K., Population Association of America, "The Effects of States’ COVID-19 Policies on Drug Overdoses in the United States, 2020" (April, 2024 - April, 2024)

(INVITED) Charles B. Nam Lecture in the Sociology of Population, Florida State University, "U.S. states and population health: What do we know and where do we go from here?" (March 8, 2024 - March 8, 2024)

(INVITED) Conference on Global Demographic Changes: Challenges and Opportunities in Asia, University of Hong Kong, "Policy Polarization and Death in the United States" (March, 2024 - March, 2024)

Population Research Institute, Ohio State University, "(INVITED) Electoral Democracy and Population Health in the U.S" (2024 - 2024)

Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, University of California, Davis, "(INVITED) Electoral Democracy and Working-age Mortality" (2024 - 2024)

Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, "(INVITED) U.S. State and County Predictors of Geographic Disparities in Mortality" (November, 2024 - 2024)

Hobart and William Smith Colleges, "(INVITED) Why U.S. Life Expectancy is Declining and How to Reverse the Trend" (2024 - 2024)

Zhang, X., Monnat, S. M., Wiemers, E. E., Wolf, D. A., Sun, Y., Montez, J. K., PAA 2023, Population Association of America, "Associations between COVID-19 Experiences and Mental Health Outcomes among U.S. Working-Age Adults" (2023)

Montez, J., Monnat, PAA 2023, "Associations Between U.S. States' COVID-19 Physical Distancing Policies and Working-Age Adult Mental Health Outcomes" (2023)

Monnat, S. M., Wheeler, D., Wiemers, E. E., Wolf, D. A., Sun, Y., Montez, J. K., PAA 2023, Population Association of America, "Associations Between U.S. States' COVID-19 Physical Distancing Policies and Working-Age Adult Mental Health Outcomes" (2023)

University of Gothenburg, "Democratic Erosion and Working-age Mortality" (2023)

Montez, J. K., Cheng, K. J., Grumbach, J. M., Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, "Democratic Erosion and Working-age Mortality" (2023)

Montez, J. K., Cheng, K. J., Grumbach, J. M., REVES, REVES, "Electoral Democracy and Working-age Mortality" (2023)

Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) seminar, Syracuse University, "How to Manage Large Interdisciplinary Collaborations" (2023)

SU MAX 123 Course, SU MAX 123 Course, "Policies, Politics, and Population Health" (2023 - 2023)

University of Pennsylvania, "Spatial and SES Inequalities in Health and Mortality: An Ever-Widening Future?" (2023 - 2023)

Health Management and Policy Seminar Series, Drexel University, "U.S. State Democracy and Working-age Mortality" (2023)

Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Maryland, "U.S. State Policies, Politics, and Population Health" (2023)

Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, Interdisciplinary Association For Population Health Science, "U.S. States and Population Health" (2023 - 2023)

American Sociological Association conference, "10 Insights into the Role of States in the Deterioration of U.S. Life Expectancy" (2022)

ASA meeting, "A Conversation About Policies and Health Inequities" (2022)

Montez, J., Cheng, PAA meeting, "Different Inequalities, Shifting Mechanisms: Education and Health across U.S. States" (2022)

American Sociological Association conference, "Health Disparities in the United States" (2022)

Population Health and Research Group, University of St. Andrews, and the Population Health and Inequalities Working Group, Vanderbilt University, "Policy Polarization and Population Health" (2022)

ASA meeting, "Policy Polarization and Working-age Mortality" (2022)

Plenary at the Southern Demographic Association conference, "States of Life and Death: Policies, Politics, and Population Health" (2022)

Wolf, Monnat, Montez, J., Public Policy Analysis & Management Conference, "The Public Health Consequences of Minimum Wage and Sick Leave Preemption" (2022)

Minnesota Demography and Aging Seminar Series, "US State Policies and Mortality among Working-age Adults" (2022)

National Academics of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, "Disparities in Midlife Mortality" (2021)

Montez, J., Mehri, PAA meeting, "How do US State Policy Contexts Shape Cause-Specific Mortality?" (2021)

McFarland, Hill, Montez, J., Interdisciplinary Association of Population Health Science meeting, "Income Inequality and Population Health: Examining the Role of State Policy" (2021)

Plenary at the Southern Demographic Association conference, "Politics and Death" (2021)

Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making, "State Policy Polarization and Population Health" (2021)

Public Health Law Conference, "State Preemption and Population Health" (2021)

University of Maryland Population Research Center, "US State Policies and Mortality of Working-Age Adults" (2021)

University of Texas at Austin, Population Research Center Brownbag; Center for Health Innovation and Policy Science, School of Public Health, the University of Washington; LSU Health Sciences Center; and Milbank Fund’s Reforming States Group, "US State Policies, Politics, and Life Expectancy" (2021)

Kemp, Grumbach, Montez, J., PAA meeting, "US State Policy Contexts and Physical Health among Midlife Adults" (2021)

Wolf, Monnat, Montez, J., APHA meeting, "Profits Protected, Lives Lost: The Preemption Tradeoff" (2020)

Preemption, Structural Racism, and Home Rule Reform Funder’s Forum, Surdna Foundation and Local Solutions Support Center, "State Preemption and Population Health" (2020)

National Association for Black Journalists-National Association of Hispanic Journalists annual convention, "State Preemption of Minimum Wage and Infant Deaths" (2020)

Sheehan, Zajacova, Montez, J., PAA meeting, "State-level Variation in the Association between Educational Attainment and Sleep" (2020)

PAA meeting, Washington DC (virtual) and the NIA-supported TRENDS meeting (virtual), "US State Policies, Politics, and Life Expectancy" (2020)

10th Anniversary Symposium of the Center for Public Health Law Research, Temple University, "Devolution and Death in the American States" (2019)

Kemp, Montez, J., PAA meeting, Austin and the GSA meeting in Washington DC, "Geo-Life Course Determinants of Educational Disparities in U.S. Adult Health" (2019)

Zajacova, Montez, J., PAA meeting, "Health Disparities by Education across US States: Influence of State Policies and Contexts" (2019)

Montez, J., Cooney, Koytak, ASA meeting in New York City and the Society for Life Course and Longitudinal Studies, Potsdam Germany, "Political Economy and Death in the American States" (2019)

Carr, Adler, Winig, Montez, J., APHA meeting, "Preemption, Public Health, and Health Equity: A Proposed Framework and Research Agenda" (2019)

UC-Berkeley Demography Brown Bag Series and the University of Washington’s Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology, "U.S. State Contexts and Inequalities in Life Expectancy" (2019)

Dean's Centennial Citation for Faculty Excellence, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University (2024 - 2024)