Dr. Aaron E. Payne

Dr. Aaron Payne is an instructor in the Department of Natural Sciences at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School. Aaron is from Oneonta, New York, an upstate town roughly two and a half hours north of West Point. He currently resides east of the Hudson River, in Cortlandt Manor.  He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Oneonta in Ecology/Field Biology in 2008. At SUNY Oneonta he was a member of the Track and Field team and a one-time school record holder for pole vault.  He obtained his Doctorate in Ecology, Evolution and Animal Behavior (EEB) from Binghamton University in 2013.  His research focused on neuroethology of the thorn bug, Umbonia crassicornis, specifically the directionality of vibrational communication. Aaron is currently working on obtaining his Masters Certificate in Medical Entomology from University of Florida, Gainesville.  Prior to being one of the founding members of the USMAPS Science Department in 2014, Aaron worked as an Adjunct Professor in the Biology Department at the College of Mount Saint Vincent (Bronx, NY), as an Adjunct Professor in the Biology Department  at Iona University (New Rochelle, NY) and as a Fellow in the Education Department at the Bronx Zoo (Bronx, NY).  While at USMAPS Aaron has served as an assistant fencing coach, assistant soccer coach, sponsor of Ski and Snowboard club, and assistant sponsor of the golf club.