Jenay Beer is an Assistant Professor with a unique joint appointment in the Computer Science and Engineering Department, as well as the College of Social Work, at the University of South Carolina.  She is the Director of the Assistive Robotics and Technology Lab, and the Associate Director of Usability for SmartHOME, a South Carolina Smart State Center of Economic Excellence. She received her B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of Dayton, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering Psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

As an engineering psychologist (also known as Human Factors), Jenay’s goal is to ensure “the human is considered in the engineering equation.” Her passion and research investigates how assistive smart home technology, such as robots, can help older adults maintain their independence. Her work contributes to the emerging field of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). In particular, her research intersects the fields of HRI and Psychology by focusing on a human-centered approach to understanding how robots and older adults may interact.

Jenay has published and presented at a number of major conferences, including Human-Robot Interaction and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.  Her work has been featured with TEDxGeorgiaTech 2012, CNET, WABE NPR News, and ETV Radio. She was awarded the American Psychological Association (APA) Early Graduate Student Researcher Award in 2010 and was a Georgia Tech Foley Scholar Finalist 2011 and 2012.