Zanifa Payne

Dr. Zanifa Payne is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business and Management Studies and serves as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Administration. She lectures undergraduate and graduate students in finance, accounting, and risk management.

In addition to her academic roles, Dr. Payne is the Director of the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Unit (AQAU), where she oversees the preparation and submission of documentation required by various accreditation agencies. She is responsible for designing and implementing processes to monitor compliance with accreditation standards, as well as developing and documenting initiatives for continuous quality improvement.

Dr. Payne is deeply committed to student engagement, serving as the faculty advisor to the Caribbean Students Association and as an academic advisor to students within the Department of Business.

Before joining SGU, she held diverse roles including pricing analyst, actuary, construction project manager, draftsperson, and high school teacher.

Dr. Payne holds a B.A. in Business Administration and Actuarial Science from Georgia State University, an M.Sc. in Actuarial Science from the University of Central Florida, an M.Sc. in Finance from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a specialization in Financial Management from Northcentral University.

Dr. Payne is a lifetime member of several prestigious honor societies, including the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars, and the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business.

Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Dr. Payne is passionate about wellness, creativity, and design. She enjoys swimming, exploring arts and crafts, and experimenting with emerging technologies such as 3D printing. An avid storyteller, she also writes short stories, reflecting her love for narrative, imagination, and expressive thought.