Sarah A. Payne

Sarah has over 20 years of experience in customer service and has been an Administrative Associate for the Department of Mathematics and Statistics since Fall 2019. She provides essential operational and administrative support to faculty, students, and the university community. Sarah serves as the primary point-of-contact in the Math Department for student inquiries, offering guidance on math placement and course prerequisites and administering the calculator rental program.
She also manages, tracks, and reconciles operating budgets across approximately 25 department funds, overseeing financial processes including reimbursements, budget revisions, and interdepartmental transactions. In addition, she is the principal delegate for all travel coordination for the department. She has previously provided FLAC, EPAF, course-building, and faculty search coordinator support as well.
Known for her attention to detail and expansive depth of knowledge about UNCW resources and procedures, Sarah provides clerical support to 38 full-time faculty members and supervises the department's Federal Work Study student employee. Sarah coordinates logistics and serves as event manager for a variety of departmental events, including graduation and student award ceremonies, receptions, and the annual High School Math Contest, which had over 140 student participants from 17 area high schools this year! She also provides support for faculty-led department events, including 3 seminar series, department meetings, and student outreach events.
She is highly proficient in a range of university systems, including Banner, ChromeRiver, uShop, AiM Work Orders, SSRS Reports, PeopleAdmin, Cascade Website Content Management System, and NextGen, and uses each of these frequently to ensure smooth departmental operations.

Education

B.A. in Elementary Education, University of North Carolina Wilmington
M.Ed. with Higher Education Specialization, University of North Carolina Wilmington (In Progress)

Professional Service

Watson College of Education Alumni Chapter Member, UNCW - 2008 to present
Watson College of Education Alumni Chapter President, UNCW - 2014 to 2016
Watson College of Education Alumni Chapter Vice-President, UNCW - 2012 to 2014, 2016 to 2020
Teaching Fellows Advisory Board Member, UNCW - 2011 to 2013
Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority Member - 2010 to present

Community Engagement

Azalea Festival Concerts Volunteer - 2024 to present
Willie Stargell Foundation Celebrity Invitational Transportation Volunteer - 2021 to present
Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College Volunteer - 2017 to present
UNCW Move-In Volunteer - 2005 to present (very few Move-Ins missed in 20 years!)

Honors & Awards

UNCW Finance Certificate Training Program - Levels 1, 2, and 3
Employee of the Month Nominee, CastleBranch
North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship