Name: Kenton Oliver
Hometown: Anderson
Year: Senior
Major: Computer Engineering
High School: T.L. Hanna High School

At age 3, Kenton Oliver decided that he wanted to be an aeronautical engineer. As he grew up, he found that he liked to build things, and he set his sights on going to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

But in the 11th grade, a friend helped Oliver build his first computer, and his career path took a wide turn. Oliver, who had studied computer science in high school, decided that he wanted to study computer engineering. He decided on the University of South Carolina because of the school's reputation.

"I knew that I enjoyed computer programming, and working with computers is like doing a puzzle," he said. "It's just fun."

Oliver recently received a Magellan scholarship, the university's prestigious award that supports undergraduate research. He's a member of the research team of Dr. Song Wang, a faculty member in the department of computer science and engineering. Wang's research group is conducting research on new techniques for medical imaging, techniques that could lead to improved patient diagnosis and care.

With a GPA of 3.87, Oliver is a member of a number of honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa. When he graduates in May, Oliver will be the first in his family to be an engineer. He's already applied to Carolina for graduate school and plans to pursue a doctoral degree in computer engineering.