Tye Payne

Affiliation

Autonomy Research Institute

Biography

Tye Payne is the Associate Director for Public Operations at the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Autonomy Research Institute. Mr. Payne has worked the last eight years at the Lonestar UAS Center of Excellence, which evolved into the Autonomy Research Institute in August 2024. He started his work with TAMU-CC as a Junior Pilot and has held multiple roles including Range Manager, Project Manager, and Operations Director. Mr. Payne has served as Test Director on projects supporting the FAA, NASA, and a multitude of commercial and public partners. These projects have included collaborations on UAS Traffic Management (UTM), Urban Air Mobility (UAM), and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). While continuing the advancement of research in UAS operations, Tye has also worked with many public agency partners to develop approaches to the use of UAS for disaster response and emergency management. Mr. Payne is a Veteran of the War on Terror with two tours to Iraq. His background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Project & Technical Management and a Master’s Degree in Homeland Security & Emergency Management from Arizona State University.