Tom Bryer's research focuses on citizen participation and collaborative governance, ultimately asking: how can we design institutions to enable stronger, more civically healthy communities? He has worked at the University of Central Florida since 2007, after completing his PhD from the University of Southern California.

He has published eight books, including Poor Participation: Fighting the Wars on Poverty and Impoverished Citizenship; Citizenship and Ethics; Handbook of Theories of Public Administration and Management; and Promoting Civic Health through University-Community Partnerships.

He has served as a Fulbright Scholar in Lithuania and Russia, and he maintains affiliations with universities in the United Kingdom, Lithuania, and South Africa.