Jenay M. Beer

Institute of Gerontology, Health Promotion & Behavior,

Associate Professor, College of Public Health and School of Social Work

Institute of Gerontology, Health Promotion & Behavior,

Dr. Beer is an associate professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) Institute of Gerontology, with a joint appointment in College of Public Health (Department of Health Promotion and Behavior) and the School of Social Work. Dr. Beer has an interdisciplinary background and experience in Engineering Psychology. Her research program is a mix of social science and technology implementation to investigate technology applications that promote health and well-being for older adults, particularly those with, or at risk for, dementia. Our ever-growing older population is living in a world where technological advances in computers, smart homes, and even robotics are shaping healthcare management, aging-in-place, and access to cutting-edge interventions.

Dr. Beer has investigated the usability, acceptance, and adoption of technology supports and interventions ranging from web-applications to advanced robotics, with over 60 peer-reviewed publications on related to technology interventions for persons with dementia, their caregivers, persons aging with disability, and rural older adults. In 2019, Dr. Beer was selected as one of two inaugural UGA Innovation Fellows. Dr. Beer is also the Co-Director (along with Dr. Renzi-Hammond) of the Cognitive Aging Research and Education (CARE) Center, an interdisciplinary hub designated for dementia diagnosis, care, clinical research, and education for rural Georgians.

Education

PhD, Department of Psychology, Georgia Tech, 2013, Engineering Psychology
MS, Department of Psychology, Georgia Tech, 2006, Engineering Psychology

Areas of Expertise

Aging, Aging-in-Place, Assistive Technology, Educational Robotics, Caregiving, Dementia, Geron-technology, Gerontology, Human Factors, Human-Computer Interaction, Human-Robot Interaction, Psychology, Smart Homes, Telehealth

Honors, Awards, and Achievements

UGA Faculty Innovation Fellow, 2019-2020

Course Instruction

GRNT 8200 Public Health and Aging
GRNT 3500e/7500e Smart Technology in an Aging Society

Selected Publications

Beer, J. M., Fisk, A. D., & Rogers, W. A. (2014). Toward a framework for levels of robot autonomy in human-robot interaction. Journal of human-robot interaction, 3(2), 74.

Beer, J. M., & Takayama, L. (2011, March). Mobile remote presence systems for older adults: acceptance, benefits, and concerns. In Proceedings of the 6th international conference on Human-robot interaction (pp. 19-26).

Beer, J. M., Smith, K. N., Kennedy, T., Mois, G., Acena, D., Gallerani, D. G., … & Owens, O. L. (2020). A focus group evaluation of Breathe Easier: a mindfulness-based mHealth app for survivors of lung cancer and their family members. American Journal of Health Promotion, 34(7), 770-778.

Owens, O. L., Smith, K. N., & Gallerani, D. G. (2020, May). A qualitative cultural sensitivity assessment of the Breathe Easier mobile application for lung cancer survivors and their families. In Oncology nursing forum (Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 331-341). Oncology Nursing Society.

Presentations

UGA Today: Beer, Handa chosen as first Innovation Fellows
TEDxPeachtree: “Will assistive robots transform our golden years of retirement?”