He has also been a Fulbright research scholar and Fulbright senior specialist at the Institute of Economics in Zagreb, Croatia. In addition to teaching a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate level economics courses, Payne is actively engaged in faculty-student research collaborations.
He is also a research fellow of the Academy of Economics and Finance and serves as the editor-in-chief for the Journal of Economics and Finance and as an editorial board member for nine academic journals. "I am pleased and delighted that Dr. James Payne has agreed to serve as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences,” said Illinois State University Provost Sheri Noren Everts. “Dr. Payne is a nationally recognized scholar, an excellent administrator and a talented teacher.”