He received his PhD in Political Science at the University of Oklahoma, where he was a Graduate Research Assistant at the Center for Risk and Crisis Management. Before coming to OU, he received a B.A. in Political Science at Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS and an M.A. in Political Science from Western Michigan University. While at OU, Tyler was also a graduate fellow at the University of Oklahoma's Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center. His research interests focus on how political factors within Congress affect the policy process at the subsystem level. Consequently, his substantive interests cover a diverse range of topics, such as energy, environmental, and health care policy.