Tosha Cantrell-Bruce

Part Time Lecturer

About

Dr. Tosha Cantrell-Bruce joined Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies online teaching team in 2022. She brought with her over 20 years of practitioner and teaching experience in the nonprofit and public sectors. 

Tosha currently serves as an online part-time lecturer for several universities. She is well known for personalizing course content for her students. Some of her courses include public & nonprofit courses on public policy, nonprofit management, organizational behavior, program evaluation, performance measurement, leadership, human resources, volunteerism, strategic planning, as well as research methods and data collection. She also teaches university-based continuing education courses on nonprofit leadership.

What is her philosophy to teaching online for multiple universities? "What a great way to visit 5 states in one day! Where else can I engage with such diverse student populations? It isn't about the time zone or what online software the university uses. Being a professor is about making a connection with each student in your course, personalizing the content for that student, and supporting students on their educational journey." Dr. Cantrell-Bruce also provides a space for all of her students from around the country to virtually meet and build social capital when classes are not in session. "I think it is important for students in nonprofit and public organizations to build links to others who may have similar careers or professional interests. That type of social capital helps lead to continued growth. Learning is life-long. My off-session virtual meets are just sparks to keep that passion for learning going."

Professional Experience

In addition to teaching online for Northeastern University College of Professional Studies, Dr. Cantrell-Bruce's other online teaching experiences include: 

University of Illinois at Springfield, Dept of Public Administration
- Lead Faculty, Graduate certificate in nonprofit management
- Lead Faculty, UIS Nonprofit Project

Texas A&M, The Bush School of Government & Public Service, Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy
- Executive Master of Public Service & Administration - Nonprofit Track
- Certificate of Nonprofit Leadership – Continuing and Professional Education Courses

University of Southern Indiana – Dept of Political Science, Public Administration, & Philosophy
- Developed a QM-certified course on Public Leadership
- Public Organization Behavior, Public Leadership, Public & Nonprofit Human Resources

Purdue Global – Master of Public Administration
- Public policy & program evaluation courses.

Valdosta State University - Dept of Political Science
- Performance Measurement, Grant writing

Professional Activities & Accomplishments

Dr. Cantrell-Bruce earned her Quality Matters Certificate in Fall 2020. The QM Certificate certifies her competencies in course design, assessing learning, & connecting learning theories to teaching strategies.

Tosha is a member of American Evaluation Association, Association on Nonprofit & Voluntary Action, and American Society for Public Administration. She is part of the Texas A&M institutional membership to Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC) and serves on one of their national committees.

Dr. Cantrell-Bruce received her Doctor and Master of Public Administration from University of Illinois at Springfield and her Bachelor of Science from Millikin University. She has presented her research on nonprofit evaluation at multiple national and state conferences. Her research has been published in Journal of Nonprofit Education & Leadership and Journal of Public Affairs Education.