Poole’s Fay Cobb Payton Receives BEYA Award for Exemplary Work in STEM

Fay Cobb Payton, professor of information technology and business analytics at NC State University Poole College of Management, has been selected as a recipient of the 2020 Science Spectrum Trailblazer award. Payton, Ph.D., will receive the award Feb. 14 as part of the 2020 Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) STEM Conference.

The Science Spectrum Trailblazer award celebrates “men and women who are demonstrating outstanding performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” according to the Career Communications Group, which hosts and organizes the BEYA Conference.

“For over 25 years, Dr. Payton has blazed a trail for inclusive excellence in research, with a specific emphasis in computing and information science,” nominator Tonya Smith-Jackson, senior vice provost at North Carolina A&T State University, wrote. “Her positionality as a Black woman scholar has advanced perspectives and practices that impact research questions we ask, assumptions about technology and privilege, and the way we seek to ensure everyone benefits equitably from our research, teaching and outreach.” 

I have worked to creatively chart new pathways in STEM research; industry, innovation and academic practices; and, thought leadership. – Fay Cobb Payton

Payton, who teaches in the business management department at Poole College, is also a program director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and founder and director of My Health Impact Network. Before joining NC State University, she worked in the health care and technology sectors. 

“This is a great honor for Dr. Payton and it recognizes her contributions to [information-system and information technology] fields at NC State University and at the NSF,” wrote Richard Warr, associate dean for faculty and academic affairs and professor of finance at Poole College.

Payton has received various awards and honors, including the 2016 North Carolina Technology Association Tech Educator of the Year award and PhD Project Hall of Fame induction, for which she also received an award. She has appeared on radio networks, such as CBS Radio, Black Data Processing Association iRadio and National Public Radio and in various publications, including Essence magazine, which recently featured her in an article about black female leaders in the area of artificial intelligence and algorithmic justice.

“It is an honor to receive the award,” Payton wrote. “I have worked to creatively chart new pathways in STEM research; industry, innovation and academic practices; and, thought leadership.”

The BEYA STEM Conference provides seminars, workshops and networking opportunities for students, educators and professionals, with the purpose of facilitating STEM work and career paths.