Tucker Payne is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, and has lived throughout the state. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry, a B.A. in Mathematics, and a minor in Biology from Wake Forest University in 2020, where he conducted undergraduate research under Dr. Amanda Jones, developing phosphine ligands for gold-catalyzed hydroamination reactions.

Following graduation, Tucker spent two years teaching AP and IB mathematics in West Charlotte as a Teach For America corps member. He then transitioned back into chemistry, working for three years as an applications chemist at CEM Corporation in Matthews, NC, specializing in microwave-assisted small-molecule and peptide synthesis.

After five years in the professional workforce, Tucker returned to academia and joined the Waters Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Fall 2025.

Outside the lab, Tucker enjoys watching movies (with over 2,500 logged), surfing and sailing at the beach, speed-solving New York Times crossword puzzles, golfing with questionable accuracy, and brewing beer with mixed success.