Meet the HomeLab Team
HomeLab is staffed by a diverse roster of experts including those with expertise in human factors, experimental design, behavioral psychology, industrial design, data analysis, engineering, and project management. The team has created a honed set of methods, tools, and apparatus to collect objective scientific data pertaining to the usability and accessibility of products and services for both home and point-of-care use, addressing challenges at the intersection of policy, technology, and design. This research improves the usability and accessibility of products for all end users.
Sarah Farmer
Senior Research Scientist, Managing Director of HomeLab, and Associate Director of Development
Sarah is a Senior Research Scientist, the Managing Director of HomeLab, and serves as the Associate Director of Development for CACP. As a human factors researcher, Sarah's research areas have ranged from modeling human performance to applied research in the field of accessible design. Sarah contributes to the NIH's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative, launched in May 2020 in order to speed the innovation, development, commercialization, and deployment of COVID-19 diagnostic technologies. She established and leads the human factors sub-core for the RADx Test Verification Core (TVC), tasked with evaluating and providing support for candidate COVID-19 diagnostic technologies in the areas of clinical validity, regulatory processes, usability, and robustness of design. In her free time, Sarah enjoys reading, indoor gardening, going to breweries with friends, and having adventures with her dog Dylan.
Amanda Peagler
Senior Research Scientist and Director of Testing and Evaluation
Amanda is a Senior Research Scientist and the Director of Testing and Evaluation at CACP. In 2013, she began her journey with HomeLab and user research as an undergraduate student. Now, she utilizes her degrees in industrial design and facilities management to explore the relationship of processes and environments with users. She is passionate about improving accessibility for vulnerable populations such as older adults, those with physical or cognitive limitations, children, and people living in rural communities. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys spending time with her family and gardening.
Adina Martinez
Senior Research Associate
Adina is a Senior Research Associate and an expert in human factors, usability, and accessibility. She is passionate about understanding user needs and the way in which technology can be improved to better serve them. Prior to CACP and the HomeLab team, Adina spent ten years as a project leader at GTRI, implementing a wide variety of programs for various sponsors, including software evaluations, UX research, and homeland security training and exercises. She has executed projects with local, state, federal, and industry sponsors, and brings her passion for people, her technical expertise, and her innate ability to communicate to all of her work. Outside of work, Adina is a mom to 3 kids (and 3 kitties). She enjoys spending time with her family, exercising, making jewelry, and attempting to garden.
Brenna Phelps
Research Scientist II
Brenna started her research journey at CACP as an undergraduate student in 2020 and is now a Research Scientist II. She conducts usability and accessibility research focused on improving the design and performance of a variety of assistive and diagnostic technologies, increasing accessibility and usability of at-home and point-of-care diagnostic testing, and improving aging-in-place and fall prevention outcomes for older adults through the implementation of smart home technology-based interventions. She is passionate about improving the usability and accessibility of systems and products to ensure optimized user experiences, especially for vulnerable populations such as older adults and those with cognitive or physical limitations. Outside of work, Brenna enjoys reading, engaging in creative activities, and playing with her cats Nala and Genevive.
Victoria Razin
Senior Research Engineer, GTRI
Victoria is driven to create systems and technologies that improve the human condition. She is particularly passionate about healthcare applications and inclusive design. In Victoria’s time at Georgia Tech, she has dedicated herself to mastering any technical task necessary to contribute to improving the human condition through healthcare, voting, and other essential applications. As a result, she has developed a broad skillset from systems engineering to UI/UX design, project direction, circuit design, Android application development, test engineering, usability assessment, accessibility assessment, policy research, and human factors engineering. Outside of project work, Victoria has demonstrated a commitment to improving the experience of employees at Georgia Tech through servant leadership in faculty governance and strategic planning.
Rebecca Sheiner
Research Scientist II
Rebecca is a Research Scientist II at CACP. She earned her BS in Industrial Design from Georgia Tech in 2021, and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Health at Georgia State University. She is passionate about improving the usability and accessibility of products and technologies in order to create the best possible user experience. Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys traveling, knitting and crochet, and playing with her rescue puppy.
Jaclyn Volney
Research Scientist II
Jaclyn is a Research Scientist II at CACP. She earned her B.A. in Sociology and Master of Public Health from The Ohio State University. She is passionate about understanding the intersection between health and technology ensuring that health systems and products are meeting the needs of patients. She specializes in qualitative research and is dedicated to creating spaces where the voices of underserved communities can be heard. Prior to CACP, Jaclyn spent almost 10 years working in the public health sector at an academic medical center, a private consulting firm, and a health institution’s research center. She has extensive experience in behavioral and social science research, including mixed-methods research and the study of the process of implementing research findings into daily medical and scientific practice. Outside of work, Jaclyn enjoys going hiking and paddle boarding, crafting, learning circus arts, and spending time with her boyfriend and their two cats.
Jenny Erickson
Ph.D. candidate in Engineering Psychology and GRA
Jenny is a doctoral student under Dr. Phil Ackerman in the PARK Lab at Georgia Tech and a graduate research assistant at CACP. She received her B.S. from Texas A&M University and M.S. in industrial and organizational psychology from Georgia Tech. Her research specializes in adult lifelong learning and training. She is especially passionate about studying structural and age-related barriers to learning how to use, and adopting, new technologies. Outside of work, Jenny enjoys hiking, gardening, playing videogames, and spending time with her dog.
DaEun Kim
Ph.D. candidate in School of Psychology and GRA
DaEun (pronounced dah-uhn) is a Ph.D. student specializing in Adult Development and Aging in School of Psychology. She started her graduate research assistantship at HomeLab in 2024. Her previous experience with older adults with mild cognitive impairment propelled her research interest in understanding the age-related challenges and examining methods to support technology use of older adults. She believes that providing accessible technology to older adults and those with limited physical and cognitive abilities can enhance their well-being. Outside of research, DaEun loves running, hiking, crocheting/knitting, and Trader Joe’s.
Emily Parcell
Ph.D. candidate in the Sonification Lab at Georgia Tech and GRA
Emily is a doctoral student under Dr. Bruce Walker in the Sonification Lab at Georgia Tech and a graduate research assistant at CACP. She completed both her Bachelor's and Master's in Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Broadly, her research interests include general technology mastery and expertise, older adult technology use, and distracted driving/driver performance. She currently works to help older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) diagnoses integrate technology into their lives to help them age in place and prolong independent living. Emily is an avid reader and a lover of houseplants.