Dr. Joshua Montgomery is a Computer Science Professor at Southern State Community College & Adjunct Instructor at Southern New Hampshire University. Montgomery has been a professor for over 10 years, and before that was the Technology Director for the Chillicothe City Schools for 13 years. He is the Curriculum Coordinator for the Ohio Coders Project, an initiative that was developed by the state of Ohio to help K-12 schools in the southern region of the state to develop coding programs and skills for students. Montgomery is the cofounder of SOMACC (Southern Ohio Makers Against COVID Coalition). This grassroots group built 4,500 3D-printed face shields for first responders at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is the inventor of the Droid Builders Mini-Dome, a teaching tool used to instruct students in electronics and coding by using a 50% scaled 3D printed R2-D2 dome that can be programmed to blink lights, move motors and play sounds. This project is now supported, funded and powered by the Grant Imahara Foundation.
The Grant Imahara STEAM foundation has purchased supplies and materials for 102 students to build 72 domes for the 2021/2022 school year so students can complete the Grant Imahara Coding Challenge. This coding challenge is a supported initiative by the Ohio Coders Project and will help to further those students understanding of both electronics and coding. Montgomery is also an active member of the Star Wars builder communities.
One of his most significant accomplishments is building a replica of R2-D2, a droid from the movie Star Wars that took him 2.5 years to complete. Montgomery used that experience of building R2-D2 to change how he teaches classes at his college. He explained how building R2-D2 made him a better teacher in his Ted Talk at Dayton Ohio in 2021. Josh and his wife, Brandy, reside in Southern Ohio with their two children and 4 dogs.
