I'm new to Waynesville High School, and to this part of Missouri, although I was born and grew up in the Kansas City area.

I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from UMKC, as well as a doctorate degree in Botany from the University of Texas at Austin.  I come to teaching by way of earlier careers as a research scientist and natural resource manager.  If you notice an accent when I speak, it's probably because I spent a decade or so living and working in Australia.  My teaching career began in Los Angeles, California, where I earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Southern California.

I'll be teaching Biology for the second semester of the 2021-22 school year.  I genuinely hope that students enjoy my class, and that by its end they will have gained a framework for understanding the living world to which we all belong.

Email is probably the best way to contact me with questions about the course:  tpayne@waynesville.k12.mo.us