Summary
Dr. Pamela Payne came to the faculty at University of Nevada, Reno from Ogden, Utah in 2018. Dr. Payne is an Associate Professor in Human Development Family Science & Counseling and Extension. After earning a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Arizona in 2001, she went on to receive a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Pepperdine University. While working on her master’s degree, she worked in probation with juvenile male felons in Southern California where she became fascinated by the impact of family on future behavior. Following completion of her master’s degree, she pursued a Ph.D. in Family & Consumer Sciences from the University of Arizona. After the completion of her dissertation focused on the integration and utilization of spiritual and religious beliefs in marital formation, she worked in Extension at the University of Arizona before joining the faculty at Weber State University in 2012.
Dr. Payne's research interests are broadly defined as much of her work focuses on the needs of the community. She has done research on various aspects of romantic relationships (e.g., sexuality, communication, relationship formation and maintenance), parenting (e.g., social support, parenting behaviors), youth (e.g., school achievement & success) and areas of community engagement and extension. Dr. Payne has published in the Journal of Extension, Journal of Sex Research, Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, Family Relations, Journal of Marriage and Family Review and others.
Dr. Payne loves to teach college courses. She has taught over 75 sections of 20 different courses at multiple universities. She has taught courses on parenting, romantic relationships, professional development (e.g., job searching, resume, cover letters, interviewing), internship/practicum/field experience, life-span development, human sexuality, understanding military families, among others. She loves getting to know students, helping them meet their goals and find their passions in working with families.
Dr. Payne is excited to be part of the Wolfpack working with students, faculty, and the community in her roles in HDFSC and Extension! Her current projects include work Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence, Judicial & Advocate Education, human sexuality and belief development and other areas where Extension and HDFS intersect.
Academic positions
University of Nevada, Reno: 2023 - Present
- Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
- Associate Professor, Extension
- Affiliated Faculty in Social Psychology Interdisciplinary program
University of Nevada, Reno: 2018-2023
- Assistant Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
- Assistant Professor, Extension
- Affiliated Faculty in Social Psychology Interdisciplinary program
Weber State University: 2012–2018
- Assistant Professor, Child and Family Studies
University of Arizona: 2011-2012
- Lecturer and Program Coordinator for Family and Consumer Sciences
University of Arizona: 2011-2012
- Interim Program Coordinator for Veteran Education and Transition Services (VETS), Student Affairs
University of Arizona: 2010–2011
- Research and Program Specialist, Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences/Cooperative Extension
Programmatic & Research Interests
(Undergraduate student italicized, ** Master students, *** Doctoral student coauthors)
Intimate Partner Violence
Current Funding
$1,000,000: 2021-2024
- American Rescue Plan Act Clark County Commissioner for DVHRT proposal to mitigate increase in DV since pandemic. Primary PI: Pamela B. Payne and Eric Killian.
- Funding period 1/2022 – 9/30/2024.
Prior Funding
$173,208.98 (AWD: 2021-VAWA-57): 2021-2022
- Attorney General Ford Services-Training-Officers-Prosecutor (STOP) and Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) grant for High-Risk Team to Combat Domestic Violence.
- Funding period 7/1/2021-12/31/2022.
No-Cost Contracts
Nevada Department of Health & Human Services: 2020-2027
- Contracted evaluator overseeing Domestic Violence Batterer’s training programs approved by the state of NV.
- Contract is set for four years from approval and renewable at the conclusion.
Publications
- Lopez, C.**, Shakaryan, L.***, Marshowsky, A.***, Ornelas, E., Thomas. C. & Payne, P.B. (2024). Using Family Science Principles to Train Survivor Advocates on Understanding the Legal Systems: A State Model. NCFR CFLE Focus, Spring Issue Volume 37, Issue 2.
- Baker-Tingey, J., & Payne, P.B. (Accepted 2024). Strengthening Families Affected by Intimate Partner Violence: A Pilot Evaluation of a Rural Extension Program. Journal of Human Sciences & Extension
Curriculum-Training
Payne, P.B. (in review). Hope Advocate Training (H.A.T.): 40-hour Basic Advocate Training. 15 Modules, 40 hours of curriculum. Developed in 2023. Reviewed by Advisory Board. Peer-reviewed by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
- >Approved for Continuing Education Units
- National Council Family Relations (NCFR)
- Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers
- Nevada State Board of Nursing
- Peace Officer’s Standards and Training (POST)
- National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA)
- National Advocate Credentialing Program (NACP)
- 2024 Domestic Violence Training Program of the Year, Hope Family Resilience Team. Purple Ribbon award given by DomesticShelters.org.
Invited Talks
- Payne, P.B. (June 26, 2024). Domestic Violence Training for TANF trainees. Nevada Public Health Foundation Conference, Tuscany Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
- Payne, P.B. (January 2024). Domestic Violence Advocate Training and Needs. Judicial education 8th District Court Judges. Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, United States.
- Ornelas, E., Thomas, D.C., Stockett, F., & Payne, P.B. (November 2023). Domestic Violence in Older Adults: Interventions for all Generations. Presented at the UNLV|UNR Disparities in Marginal Older Adult Populations Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
- Payne, P.B. (October 2023). Domestic Violence Assessment Tools Used in Nevada. Podcast Recorded for Nevada Supreme Court podcast “I’ll Allow it”.
- Payne, P.B. (September 2023). Domestic Violence in Nevada Panel with Elizabeth Ortenberger, Nicole Reilly, & Elizabeth Abdur-Raheem. UX4 Justice Speaker Panel. University of Arizona Innovation for Justice.
Committee Service
- 2023 – Present: Committee on Human Trafficking, Voting Member, for the Attorney General Aaron Ford
- 2022 - Present: Fatality Review Subcommittee for the Attorney General Aaron Ford
- 2022 – Present: Committee on Domestic Violence, Voting Member, for the Attorney General Aaron Ford
- 2022 - Present: Services and Training Subcommittee for the Attorney General Aaron Ford
Romantic Relationships
General Relationship Publications
- Mitchell, S.N., Mortensen, J., & Payne, P.B. (2023). Understanding implications of abortion access for families in a Post-Pandemic and Post-Roe Era. Family Focus: Families in a Post-Pandemic Era, NCFR Publication.
- Payne, P.B., Mitchell, S.N., Lopez, C.**, DeCount, T., Shrout, M.R., Russell, K., Weigel, D., Evans, W., & Weiser, D. (2023). Young Adults’ Perceptions of Morality Based Messages from Parents About Sex: An exploratory study. Family Relations.
- Morgan, P., Hubler, D.S., Payne, P.B., Pomeroy, C., Gregg, D., & Homer, M. (2016). My partner’s media use: A qualitative study exploring perceptions of problems with a partner’s media use. Marriage & Family Review.
- Ridley, C.A., Ogolsky, B.G., Payne, P.B., Totenhagen, C.J., & Cate, R.M. (2008). Sexual expression: It’s emotional context in heterosexual, gay, and lesbian couples. The Journal of Sex Research, 45, 305-314.
Utah Marriage Celebration
- Payne, P. B., & Brower, N. (2024). Evaluating a Short Duration Relationship and Marriage Education (RME) Event Across Time and Format: 8 Years of Learning. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 12(1), 9. DOI:
- Payne, P.B., Brower, N., & Jewkes, M. (2019). Expanding and replicating a Marriage Celebration: Impacts of short-duration Relationship Marriage Education events. The National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences Journal, 14, 91-109.
- Brower, N., Payne, P.B., & Simmons, M. (2019). Measuring the effectiveness of a multi-year multi-county marriage celebration: Qualitative findings. Journal of Marriage and Family Review, 55 (7), 601-618. DOI:
- Payne, P.B., Brower, N., & Lefthand, M., (2019). Outcomes of a multi-year multi-county marriage celebration. Journal of Extension, 57(1), Article 1RIB9
- Brower, N. & Payne, P.B. (2018). Lessons Learned from Organizing a Multi-County Marriage Celebration. Journal of the Human Sciences and Extension, 6 (1).
Evaluation & Coaching
Current Funding
$170,000: 2019- Present
- Children Youth and Families At-Risk (CYFAR) Professional Development & Technical Assistance (PDTA) Coaching Team Member.
- Supervise and advise 7 CYFAR Sustainable Community Projects (SCP) grantees.
- Sub-contract awardee for 35-45% of annual contract.
- Primary PI: Daniel F. Perkins & Lynne Borden
$160,000 annually ($800,000 total): 2023-2028
- USDA-NIFA Children, Youth, and Families At-Risk (CYFAR) Sustainable Communities Project (SCP). Enriching Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for Kids and Families.
- PI: YaeBin Kim
- Evaluator: Pamela B. Payne
Prior Funding
$20,000: 2020-2022
- Anthem Blue Cross. Youth Horticulture Education Program, Career-Readiness.
- Primary PI: Pamela B. Payne and Tricia Braxton-Perry.
$50,000 (Award #2020-01938): 2020-2022
- United States Department of Agriculture & National Institute of Food and Agriculture Secondary-Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA).
- Primary PI: Pamela B. Payne, Co-PI’s: Angela O’Callaghan & Tricia Braxton-Perry. Supporting Youth Horticulture Education Programs in Nevada.
- Funding period 10/1/2019 – 9/30/2022.
Publications
- Ealy, P.L., Tyler-Mackey, C., Ashurst, K., Blue-Terry, M., Cano-Guin, A, Derienfield, C., Grant, S., Harmon, D., Payne, P.B., Wells-Marshall, J., & Perkins, D.F. (in review). Using Technical Assistance to Bridge the Gap between Policy, Research, and Implementation, Frontiers in Public Health
- Payne, P.B. & McDonald, D. (2012). Using Common Evaluation Instruments across Multi- State Community Programs: A Pilot Study. Journal of Extension [On-line], 50, (4). Article RIB4.
- Payne, P.B., & McDonald, D.A. (2014). The importance of understanding dosage when evaluating parenting programs: Lessons from a pilot study. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 2 (2).
- Payne, P.B. & McDonald, D. (2015). Common evaluation tools across Multi-state programs: A study of parenting education and youth engagement programs in children, youth and families at-risk. Journal of Extension [On-line], 53 (3). Article 3FEA5.
Education
Prior Funding
$10,000: 2022-2023
- Washoe County School District
- Northwest Regional Professional Development Program Evaluator. Support and collaborate with NW education professionals to disseminate their work. Compile information for report, conduct training, write report. PI: Pamela B. Payne
$10,000: 2021-2022
- Washoe County School District
- Northwest Regional Professional Development Program Evaluator. Support and collaborate with NW education professionals to disseminate their work. Compile information for report, conduct training, write report. PI: Pamela B. Payne
Publications
- Willis-Hepp, B., DiGregorio, N., Grieving, J.***, Dutton, C., & Payne, P.B. (Accepted 2024). What Are Students Reading? An Exploratory Study of Bookstore Acquisitions in Introductory Family Science Courses. Marriage & Family Review: Special Issue “The Discipline of Family Science”
- Mitchell, S. N. & Payne, P. B. (2023). Exploring Cultural Competence Topics in Family Science Classrooms. In S. Finley, P. Correll, C. Pearman, & S. Huffman (Eds.),Empowering Students Through Multilingual and Content Discourse(pp. 244-259). IGI Global.
- Payne, P.B., Braxton-Perry, T., Whitelsey, L., Walton, C., & O’Callaghan, A. (In Review) Transitioning Youth Gardening Programs to Online Formats and Evaluations: Lessons Learned as a Result of COVID-19. Journal of Extension
- Payne, P.B. (2022). Preparing Family Science professionals: A professional development assignment cluster. Family Science Review: Special Issue Assessment, 25 (2). 2-18.
- Williams, M. & Payne, P.B. (2021). Engaging undergraduates in
co-curricular community-based research: Strategies for success. Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education, 13 (3), 1-10. - Payne, P.B., & Hubler, D.S. (2017) Learning beyond the Classroom: Engaging Family Science Students in Community-Based Learning using Speed Networking. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences, 109 (2).
- Taylor, A.R., Payne, P.B., & Arizaga-Marron, A. (2015) Family Science as a Pathway to higher education attainment for rural, Latina/o students: Lessons from a pilot distance degree program. Family Science Review, 20 (2).
- Schvaneveldt, P.L., Payne, P.B., Hubler, D., & Merrill, C.D. (2013). Undergraduate Competencies in Family Science: An Exploratory Study, Family Science Review, 18 (2).
Formal University of Nevada, Reno Courses
- HDFS 203 Introduction to Human Development Family Science
- HDFS 436/636 Family Interactions
- HDFS 401/601/701 Independent Research
- HDFS 400 Military Families
- HDFS 201 Human Development
Awards
- 2024 Best of State – Utah; Hidden Gems Community Education Program, Collaboration with Utah State Extension, Naomi Brower
- 2024 University of Nevada Reno College of Education and Human Development Outreach Award winner, University of Nevada, Reno
- 2022 University of Nevada Reno Extension “Award of Excellence” Academic Faculty Award winner, University of Nevada, Reno
- 2020 Judith A. Bible Teaching Award, University of Nevada, Reno College of Education Nominee
- 2020 Recipient John & Doris Norton School of Family & Consumer Sciences Council of Alumni and Friends Emerging Professional Award. The University of Arizona, Tucson.
- 2019 Judith A. Bible Teaching Award, University of Nevada Reno College of Education Nominee
Selected Service
College of Education and Human Development
- 2020 – 2023: Awards and Recognition Committee Chair
- 2018 – Present: Awards and Recognition Committee Member
College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources/Cooperative Extension
- 2021: Extension Annual Conference Breakout Subcommittee
- 2020–Present: Extension Annual Conference Committee
University committees
- 2022-2023: Status of Women Committee
- 2022–2023: Work, Life, Family Committee
- 2020–Present: Sexual Assault Hearing Board
- 2019–2021: Service-Learning Advisory Committee
- 2019–Present: Queer & LGBT Advocacy Board (QLAB) Committee Member
Community and State Service
- 2022 - 2023: Policy Subcommittee member, Strategic Leadership Team Member, Nevada Afterschool Alliance ()
- 2022 - 2023: Strategic Leadership Team Member, Nevada Afterschool Alliance ()
- 2022 – Present: Women’s Sustainable Recovery Coalition, Member
- 2021: Interview Panel for Washoe County School District (WCSD) Sexuality, Health, and Responsibility Education (SHARE) Advisory Board: Parent Members
- 2021: Reviewer for Attorney General Ford STOP grant proposals
- 2019: Interview Panel for Washoe County School District (WCSD) Sexuality, Health, and Responsibility Education (SHARE) Advisory Board: Parent & Community Health Members
National Council on Family Relations
- 2022-2025: National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Religion, Spirituality & Family Life Section Past Chair
- 2019-2022: National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Religion, Spirituality & Family Life Section Chair
Family Science Association
- 2017–2019: Past President, Family Science Association
- 2015–2017: President, Family Science Association
Selected Journal, Conference, Book, and Foundation Reviewing Service
- 2024 – Present: Reviewer, Family Transitions
- 2022- Present: Reviewer, Family Relations
- 2016- Present: Reviewer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Reviewer for Health Policy Research Scholars program, Princeton, NJ
- 2021–Present: Editorial Board, Marriage and Family Review
- 2020–Present: Reviewer, Journal of Youth Development
- 2018-Present: Reviewer, Psychology and Sexuality
- 2017–Present: Reviewer, Journal of Child and Family Studies
- 2017–Present: Reviewer, International Quarterly of Community Health Education
- 2017–Present: Reviewer, Journal of Adult Development
- 2016–Present: Reviewer, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships