Payton Tanner is the Director of Admissions for the Security Studies Program. She leads all admissions activities for the program including meeting with prospective students, representing the program at graduate fairs, and more. Before taking over the Director of Admissions role, she served as SSP's Assistant Director of Admissions and Alumni Engagement for more than two years.

Payton holds a B.A. in Integrated Communications and MLA in Leadership & Ethic from Spring Hill College, the nation’s third oldest Jesuit institution. Prior to Georgetown, Payton worked for three years in undergraduate admissions at Spring Hill, where she spent her last year as Assistant Director of Admissions. She is currently pursing her MPS in Higher Education Administration at Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies.