Tara Kolar Bryan

Tara Kolar Bryan (Ph.D.) is an associate professor at the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she directs the Master of Public Administration program. Her work focuses on helping nonprofit leaders navigate complex governance environments, with an emphasis on strategy, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. Dr. Bryan’s research and applied work examine how nonprofits respond to crisis, manage accountability, build capacity, and engage in policy and advocacy under real-world constraints. She works closely with practitioners and regularly incorporates applied projects, partnerships, and executive education into her teaching. A former Fulbright Scholar in the Czech Republic, her work has been published in leading nonprofit management journals.