Dr. Bryer's research and teaching 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 ten books, including Poor Participation: Fighting the Wars on Poverty and Impoverished Citizenship, Citizenship and Ethics, Handbook of Theories of Public Administration and Management, and Integrating Community Engagement in Public Affairs Education: Solutions for Professors Working in Divisive Environments. He is currently working on a new book based on an embedded research project with the National Park Service, Volunteers in the Parks: Tensions, Challenges and Opportunities in the National Park Service to be published with Springer Nature. 

Dr. Bryer has served as a Fulbright Scholar in Lithuania and Russia, and he maintains affiliations with universities in the United Kingdom, Lithuania, and South Africa. He has assembled international teams for research as well as coordinated multiple inter-university programs and agreements. He has secured grants and contracts totaling more than $3million.