Rodger Morrison

Rodger Morrison, Jr. (1964 - ) is an American author, researcher, professor, and businessman.

A researcher in several fields, including human-to-computer interaction and trust in technology-mediated communication environments, Morrison has published and presented numerous articles in journals and at academic conferences. His book, "Human-to-Machine Interaction" outlines the "holistic field of study related to the bi-directional exchange of information between humans and machines". By definition, Morrison is a polymath in that his interests and expertise span a number of disciplines, most notably academia, poetry, and Computer Science.

Morrison was born in Florida, but when he was a young child his family moved to Selma, Alabama, where his father worked in the paper industry. Morrison's family moved again to Prattville, Alabama when he was 14. During his time in school, he was extraordinarily thin, gaunt, clumsy, and was the target of regular peer brutality. Though he tested at above-average intelligence, his grades were often barely sufficient to advance with his classmates, especially in junior high and high school. Morrison graduated from Prattville High School, in Prattville, Alabama, in 1982. He was president of the high school chess club and a member of the French club.
 * Early Life

Morrison enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1982, three months before his high school graduation. He entered basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas later that year, then received technical training at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. Morrison was then transferred to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was assigned to the 963rd Aircraft Generation Squadron, where he worked on the AN/APY-1 series radar systems aboard the Boeing E-3 AWACS aircraft. Morrison was promoted to the rank of E-5, Staff Sergeant, in 1987 and transferred to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. In Japan, he was assigned to the 961st AWACS unit and traveled extensively throughout the Pacific theater of operations. Additionally, while attending Air Force Leadership School at Misawa Airbase in Northern Japan, Morrison was awarded the John Levitow Award.
 * Early military and business career

In early 1991, Morrison was transferred back to Oklahoma and was assigned to the 966th Airborne Warning and Control Training Squadron. Shortly after his arrival, he participated in a number of operations including Operation Provide Comfort and Operation Agate Path. He received an honorable discharge from the Air Force in September 1992, and returned to Prattville as a disabled veteran due to injuries received in the line of duty.

Morrison returned to Prattville and took a position as the Computer Manager for the now-defunct Gurney Industries, a textile corporation that manufactured tubular knit cloth and apparel. In 1994, he left and took a Research and Development position as an Engineering Assistant at Prattville Manufacturing, Inc., which was later purchased by the Haldex Corporation. While at Haldex, Morrison held several titles including Production Superintendent. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the market conditions which followed, he left Haldex to work for Troy University's Montgomery Campus.

Morrison began his post-secondary academic career while on active duty in the Air Force and stationed in Oklahoma and at Okinawa. Morrison attended undergraduate classes at Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and with the University of Maryland University College while in Okinawa. In August 1992, he received an Associate's of Science in Avionics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. In January 1998, he enrolled in classes at Troy State University Montgomery (now Troy University) and was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in December 1999 with a major in Resources Management. He was an active student in the Alpha Sigma Lambda and Gamma Beta Phi honor societies and graduated cum laude.
 * Academic career

Morrison's employment with Troy University began in December 2001, when he took a staff position as the Instructional Technology Enhancement Coordinator after leaving Haldex. He then continued his education as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) student in January 2003. In the Fall of 2003, he began teaching as an adjunct instructor. In August 2004, Morrison accepted a full-time faculty position at the rank of Instructor and moved to the faculty offices across campus. He completed his MBA program in December 2004 with a GPA of 4.0, and a concentration in research. Morrison then applied to the doctoral program in Management at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, and was accepted in April for classes beginning in August 2005. He received his Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in December 2008 with a concentration in Management of Information, Technology, and Innovation. He was also a member of the Golden Key and Delta Epsilon Iota honor societies. In March 2009, he was appointed to the rank of Assistant Professor at Troy University. His graduate studies continued in the areas of Statistics and Human Resource Management after he received his Ph.D. In December 2010, he received a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Troy University.

Morrison has written several books and his work has been published in numerous journals and at conferences both in the United States and abroad. He is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, the Southern Management Association, American and International Mensa, and more. His publications currently include works in the areas of biometrics, online surveys, trust in computer-mediated communication, research replication methodology, strategic management, equity theory, disaster preparedness, technology-related change, and more.

Shortly after Morrison began his MBA studies, he was encouraged to compile and publish his poetry and other writings, which eventually won several awards. He published some of these in manuscript form on the Internet, which was later in book form. Shortly after the manuscript was removed from the Internet for commercial publication, he met and married Vicki Cole, a paralegal living in Corinth, Mississippi. They settled in Prattville, where they continue to live as of 2012. The Morrison's have a total of five sons and three grandchildren. In 2004, it was discovered that many of the health issues that have plagued Morrison were related to an inherited inability to properly absorb magnesium. In 2010, it was determined that he also likely suffers from Asperger syndrome, which accounts for many of the issues he had early in life, as well as an abnormally high IQ. Morrison has a tested IQ in excess of 160 (Stanford-Binet) and is a member of the Mensa Society.
 * Current Status

The My Dearest Letters Human-to-Machine Interaction Archetypal Symbols, Avatars, and Trust Researching the New Strategy Paradigm Preparing a Replication or Update Study in the Business Disciplines (co-authored) A Comparison of Online versus Traditional Student End-of-Course Critiques in Resident Courses Empathy from Avatars An Examination of the Relationship Between Culturally Recognized Symbols as Avatars and Trust in Computer-Mediated Communications Environments Enhancing Development and Planning Efforts: Benefits of Leveraging Technology (co-authored) A Taxonomy of Equity Factors (co-authored) Multi-Factor Identification and Authentication A Disaster in the Making: How Failure to Plan Because a Plan to Fail (co-authored) Employee Involvement, Attitudes and Reactions to Technology Changes (co-authored) Commander's evaluation in the context of business decision-making: a multi-perspective approach (co-authored)
 * Selected Publications