Dr. Courtney Smith Lamar and team from Bowie State University.

Tift County native Dr. Courtney Smith Lamar was recently invited, along with her students from Bowie State University, to a Capitol Hill Maker Faire at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. and the much larger National Maker Faire. The team displayed their project in a showcase for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) at both events. Bowie State University was one of only nine schools invited to the Capitol Hill Maker Faire.

They presented to the public and members of Congress an interactive model of an electronic kiosk that the students developed that is designed to link people seeking the help of local shelters with up-to-date information about what is available in their community. The students spent months researching the needs of communities in Prince George’s County and designing a solution for the homeless population. Lamar, an assistant professor of computer science at Bowie State University, directed the research effort.

The students used a mini-computer, wireless Internet adapter and computer monitor to build an interactive kiosk. Using the kiosk, individuals can access real-time information about which local shelters have available space and resources, like bedding, food or clothing. Lamar praised the work of the students, recognizing them for “developing something that is going to positively impact the community using many of the skills and technologies that they use in their coursework.” She said the process of creating a technology project to solve problems outside of the classroom or the laboratory provides students with valuable hands-on experience, so they can thrive in the workplace. The students are computer technology majors who were a part of a research team headed by Lamar.

A 1990 graduate of Tift County High School, Lamar received her BS and MS in Computer Science from Clark Atlanta University, and her PhD. in Computer Science from Florida State University. Lamar credits her parents, John and Jacquelyn Smith, her extended families (biological and church) and her friends with maintaining an “awesome village of support” for her as she grew up in Tifton. John and Jacquelyn Smith are both retired educators who worked tirelessly in the Tift County School system to encourage and inspire local youth. John Smith currently serves on the Tift Count Board of Education.

“I have always been encouraged to be anything that I wanted to be regardless of the limitations others may try to project onto me,” Lamar said. She encourages youth to understand that they are “enough” –  talented enough, brilliant enough, pretty enough – and to read and internalize the poem “Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson.