[1] She then received an MA in public policy from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1991,[1] followed by a PhD in political science from the same institution in 1996.
[2] From 1996 to 1997, Tolbert was an information technology specialist at Colorado College, and then joined the political science faculty at Kent State University in 1997.
[1] In 2013 she coauthored the book Digital Cities: The Internet and the Geography of Opportunity with Karen Mossberger and William W. Franko.
The book develops a notion of "digital citizenship", which captures the extent to which individuals are capable of regularly and effectively using technology related to the internet.
[7] Tolbert was the solo recipient of the 2009-2011 Collegiate Scholar Award at the University of Iowa, which recognizes "mid-career faculty for exceptional achievement".