Dr. Payton grew up in rural southwest Missouri but is excited to be now living in Colorado (a state that had always been his favorite place to visit). He attended Missouri State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Math. He then attended Oklahoma State University, earning a Master of Science and a Doctorate in Statistics. "I love to apply statistical knowledge and techniques to medical research."

Dr. Payton served on the faculty of Oklahoma State University for 28 years as the Associate Dean and Interim Dean of the Graduate College, as well as the Head of the Statistics Department. At RVU, he is looking forward to working with the great people we have here, as well as undertaking exciting new challenges.

Dr. Payton is married with four kids, ranging in age from 11 to 23. He also has a 100-pound Labrador Retriever named Waffles. In his free time, he loves to play board games and trivia.