Engineering alumni spotlight: Brad Payne

Brad Payne earned his second undergraduate degree at Auburn, crediting the Bachelor of Computer Science program for "a deeper understanding of how computer science works and different philosophies my teams can implement."  A Huntsville resident and full time systems engineer for the U.S. govenment, Payne began the fully online program in August 2022 and finished in December 2024.

Q: What is your education background (pre-OBCS)? 
A: I have a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE 2007 University of Mississippi).

Q: What made you decide to join the Bachelor of Computer Science program?
A: I took a lot of computer science classes while working on my original undergrad, and I wanted to pursue a degree in computer science. Mostly, I thought it would be fun (yes, I said "fun"), but I also knew my job would benefit from it. I looked at a lot of different programs. Ultimately, I stumbled across Auburn’s program and noticed that they also had an online bachelor’s program. Auburn is a very well respected engineering school, so I knew the program would be top notch. I knew I would need to take a few prerequisite classes before I entered a master's program and decided to jump head first into the online bachelor's program, and I ended up loving it.

Q: What has been your personal experience so far with the fully online/distance format?
A: I have really benefited from the online/distance format. I do a lot of travel for work and have literally watched lectures, done homework, and interacted with other students on multiple continents! I developed a weekly routine for each class to make sure they all received the right amount of attention. Ultimately, as someone with a full-time career and family, the program worked really well around all our schedules.

A lot of the professors have been outstanding, and their teaching styles worked well with me. There will always be some professors you “click” with better than others, but that’s true of in person or online programs. The part I was most surprised about was how engaging the advising staff was ... I have highly enjoyed getting to know them. 

Q: How do you expect this degree to enhance your professional life, and/or how has it done so already?
A: I work in an extremely technical area, so this degree has provided me a deeper understanding of how computer science works and different philosophies my teams can implement. I don’t directly write code, but I do need to have a deep understanding of what my teams do and how our products work. Understanding what is happening “under the hood” of our programs makes me a better manager and team member. Not to mention, it can be a lot of fun coming into a meeting with new ideas and concepts that your team has not considered before.

Q: Are you planning to enter graduate school when you finish this program?
A: I am currently planning to pursue graduate school at Auburn.  I really enjoyed the bachelor's program and hope that the graduate program continues that experience.