Thomas O’Toole is the Executive Director of Public Affairs Programming in the MPA Program. He teaches the MPA Program’s core course on “Issues in Public Administration,” a seminar on “Comparative Public Administration: The Case of Seoul, Korea,” and has collaborated on projects and educational programming with the White House, the United Nations Division of Public Administration and Development Management, the UN World Food Programme, and the International Food Policy Research Institute. 

He is also responsible for monitoring the strategic direction of the MPA Program, as well as providing ongoing oversight to ensure the achievement of the program’s educational and professional missions. As part of his responsibilities, Professor O’Toole oversees all student professional development activities related to the graduate field of public affairs at Cornell, including maintaining institutional relationships with organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and facilitating job and internship placements for Brooks MPA students. He also plays a key role in overseeing the Brooks School’s executive degree programs, including the Executive MPA and Executive MHA, ensuring support for students throughout their experience from the admissions process to program completion.

He received his undergraduate degree at Bucknell University and master’s and Ph.D. from Cornell.