John Morris, PhD, FACRM - Director
John is a senior clinical research scientist at Shepherd Center and project director for several grant funded research and development projects on assistive technology, accessibility and user experience. From 2008-2015, John led the ongoing development of the national Consumer Advisory Network (CAN) and cornerstone Survey of User Needs (SUN) projects for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies, which provided the model for the Accessibility User Research Collective (AURC). John earned his doctorate degree in political science at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a user-experience and user-needs research professional with over 30 publications and presentations on disability and technology. Before joining Shepherd Center, John worked for Oracle Corporation as senior product development manager. In collaboration with the rest of the team, John leads the AURC’s overall direction and long-term planning. John’s passions are for travel. He claims it’s to get new perspectives. Sure seems like leisure.
Delaney Cowart - User Experience Research Program Manager
Delaney is a user experience researcher for the AURC at Shepherd Center. She recruits AURC members for studies, manages the database of members, and designs and implements data collection tools. Delaney graduated from the University of North Carolina with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, so she loves finding and testing new technology that’s designed inclusively. In 2019, she co-founded Carolina Adapts Toys for Children (CATCH, Inc), a non-profit organization that makes toys more accessible for children with disabilities. In her free time, you can find her hiking in national and state parks, whipping up a cool new recipe, or schooling the boys on the soccer field.
Raeda Anderson, PhD - Project Manager and Senior Consumer Insights Analyst
Raeda is a Research Scientist at Shepherd Center where she also serves as project director for several NIDILRR funded grants on technology and disability. Raeda is an applied sociologist, demographer, and survey methodologist. She earned her PhD in Sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prior to working at Shepherd Center, Raeda was an assistant professor and Quantitative Data Specialist at Georgia State University. Dr. Anderson has extensive experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research, and publishing and presenting at national conferences on disability, inclusion, social interaction and mental health. Raeda leads research design and data analysis, and she manages engagement with Microsoft product teams and consumers. When not cultivating new insights into research, Raeda nurtures vegetables and hay on her family’s farm south of Atlanta. Raeda also loves national parks and white water rafting. If you have any suggestions for a hidden gem in a national park, let her know!
Maryam Kenning -User Experience Researcher
Maryam is a user experience researcher for the AURC at Shepherd Center. She is responsible for research study design implementation, database management, and collaboration with key stakeholders. Maryam holds an MPH concentrated in Biostatistics and a B.S. in Biology. She comes from Georgia State University, where she worked as a Research Coordinator for a behavioral intervention study and a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the “Fundamentals of Health Systems, Leadership, and Policy” course for first-year MPH students. At GSU, Maryam also dabbled in metagenomic analysis, antimicrobial resistance lab work, and microplastic biofilm research. She is a well-rounded asset to the team with her experience in extracting meaningful insights to inform decision-making, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and project management. Maryam has lived in the Atlanta area for the past ten years and enjoys the balance between busy city life and the beautiful nature trails near the suburbs. In her free time, you can find Maryam at a local workout class or at a fun new restaurant she found online.
