USC Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing

Ph.D. candidate Deepa Tilwani is building on the continued transformation of healthcare by working on research into how AI can be used for early autism diagnosis.

Deepa Tilwani: Pioneering AI to transform autism diagnosis

Summer Intern Spotlight
Payton Vereen, '26, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Transportation Engineering intern, Cox and Dinkins, Inc.
Columbia, South Carolina

"I've had the opportunity to work on many projects, including designing plans for sidewalks, dirt to pave roads and road extensions. I've learned how to use MicroStation (CAD software), make an estimated summary for a project, and how to design and make plan sheets in a clear and concise fashion. I've also gone on site visits, allowing me to apply my knowledge while seeing the projects I am working on be constructed in real time.

I have enjoyed the environment of Cox and Dinkins. Everyone is welcoming, and I am able to shadow different engineers daily and get an idea of what kind of work I will be doing in the future. I can shadow other departments, getting an idea of how different civil engineering disciplines communicate with each other.

Once my internship is over, I would like to take away the fact that I have learned more about civil engineering as a whole, and that there is more to come. From the different CAD programs and disciplines, I'm excited to see where I go from here. I would also like to take the connections that I made throughout my internship because so many engineers and mentors that I look up to inspire me to keep going."

Summer Intern Spotlight

Lauren Garrett, Chemical Engineering '25, is interning this summer at Shaw Industries in Aiken, South Carolina. According to Garrett, she is excited to apply chemical engineering principles and learn more about the manufacturing side of industry. She also believes it will be a great learning experience and for making connections.

CTE Near Peer // USC STEM This is "CTE Near Peer // USC STEM" by Motion Filmworks on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

For two weeks last month, we were excited to host our annual Partners for Minorities in Engineering and Computer Science summer technical workshop. The program is designed to address the critical need of motivating minority students to enter and successfully complete post-secondary education in the fields of engineering and computer science.

Summer Intern Spotlight
Nick Fortino, '26, Aerospace Engineering
Engineering intern, Boeing
North Charleston, South Carolina

"During my internship at Boeing, I am looking forward to learning how real-world engineers succeed and innovate in the aerospace industry. I am incredibly excited to gain hands-on engineering experience working with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and the opportunity to work on my own project. Throughout this summer, I am hoping to learn many applicable skills, build strong connections, and leave a meaningful impact on the company."

Assistant Professor Wout De Backer underscores hands-on learning and collaboration, while inspiring his students with his passion for aircraft design and innovation in composites through additive manufacturing.

De Backer inspires innovation and passion for aerospace engineering

Here's three of our students from three different majors who are interning at Trane Technologies this summer. Abbey Elliott is a computer information systems major working out of the Charleston office as a energy engineer intern. Mechanical engineering major Shane Akers and chemical engineering major Tiffany Phan are technical sales interns and based out of the Columbia office.

According to Elliott, at their recent visit to Trane Technologies intern headquarters in Davidson, North Carolina, the group learned about the different business units within the company and heard from managers throughout the region.

Pictured (L-R): Abbey Elliott, Shane Akers, Tiffany Phan

Thanks to the USC Division of Development for putting together this highlight video from the naming ceremony and luncheon.

Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing - Event Recap

Summer Intern Spotlight
Jackson Ginn, '25, Computer Science
Software Engineer intern, Capital One
McLean, Virginia

"In my internship, I am working on back-end services to help customers better manage their subscriptions they pay for with a Capital One card. I am most excited to broaden my technical skillset and make a tangible impact at a large company.

I will have my first hands-on experience with cloud development, which is an exciting area of software engineering. Not only will I be gaining new skills, but I will also be applying them to enhance a product with millions of users. Everyone I've worked with has been supportive of my learning, and I'm eager to continue growing through this opportunity with their guidance."

Summer Intern Spotlight
Solomon Jacobs, '27, Integrated Information Technology
Information Technology Operations Specialist I, Fluor Corporation
Greenville, South Carolina

"The prospect of working at a humongous company like Fluor is extremely attractive to me. I'm particularly interested in observing how Fluor coordinates all of their various departments like engineering, design and planning to complete megaprojects on time by a designated deadline.

It's a complex machine and understanding how all the moving parts work together to deliver results will be invaluable to me and create valuable experience. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to learn and grow professionally. I'm eager to add new skills to my repertoire and leverage this experience to take my career to the next level."

Congratulations to graduate students Daniel Coble (mechanical engineering) and Lex Whalen (computer science) on their National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program scholarships.

One week ago today, the University of South Carolina celebrated the generosity of the Molinaroli family. Learn more about the impact their $30 million donation will have on the USC Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing and the Palmetto State: https://mailchi.mp/78f537dd83f9/usc-state-house-briefing-june-12696048?e=fce97c6fe3

Happy one week with our new name!

Summer Intern Spotlight
Harvey Villanueva '25, Computer Science
Business Data Analyst intern, Dominion Energy
Cayce, South Carolina

"I am eager to gain hands-on experience with advanced data analytics tools from the real-world applications at Dominion Energy. I'm currently working on a project developing a mobile app to unify crew log submissions across South Carolina, along with applying some exploratory analysis on the nature of different districts. I'm excited to expand my palette into the energy sector while learning from the most knowledgeable people in the field."

Summer Intern Spotlight
Haley Pepper, '24, Biomedical Engineering
Internship: Poly-Med, Inc. - Anderson, South Carolina

“I am most looking forward to increasing my technical lab knowledge and refining my problem solving skills while building relationships with my coworkers. I am also excited to contribute my time and opinions towards developing new, innovative materials in the world of implantable and absorbable polymers. The talented design team at Poly-Med has already taught me so much, and I'm looking forward to spending my summer learning from them.”

Here's some more photos from last Thursday's historic day. Thank you to everyone for your support as we embark on an exciting future of education and innovation.

In case you missed it, here's some photos from today's momentous occasion as we are now the USC Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing.

It's official!!

Introducing USC’s Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing The University of South Carolina College of Engineering and Computing has a new name that reflects the vision and generosity of generations of the Molinaroli family. The official name, the University of South Carolina Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, was announced on Thursday (June 6...

Summer Intern Spotlight
Gavin Hewitt, '25, Computer Science
Internship: Application Development Intern, Nucor Corp. - Huger, South Carolina

"Throughout the course of my internship, I’ll be working on developing the internal applications Nucor uses to support the Berkeley Mill.

I can't wait to participate in a nationwide Hackathon hosted by Nucor for its interns. Every software development intern across the country will be placed on teams of 10 and assigned a problem to solve in code. At the end of our internship, Nucor will be flying us to Kansas City, Missouri to attend an IT Summit where will be given the opportunity to present our solution and the projects that we've been working on at the summit."

Summer Intern Spotlight
Tessa Neal, '25, Computer Science
Internship: Software engineering intern, Lowe's - Charlotte, North Carolina

"After my first week at Lowe's, I am most excited to learn what being a software engineer is like at a company. As a software engineering intern, I have joined a development team and will participate in three sprints for developing and testing functionalities to add to a web application for store planning by utilizing several application programming interfaces and databases.

I look forward to seeing how what I learned from USC can combine with what I'm learning here to make me a more well-rounded developer."

Alum Kenneth Bible earned his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the CEC in 1996. His career included positions ranging from nuclear and mechanical engineering to information technology and cybersecurity.

Service to a Nation During his nearly 40-year career, alum Kenneth Bible started in nuclear and mechanical engineering and later made significant impacts on the nation's information technology and cybersecurity.

Summer Intern Spotlight
Jake Brezner, '25, Biomedical Engineering
Internship: Facilities engineering intern, Merck - Durham, North Carolina

"I work with the engineering team on an expansion project for Merck at the Durham manufacturing site. My team is responsible for the engineering and maintenance of the facility's manufacturing capabilities, including making sure all equipment is running smoothly and efficiently.

I am most looking forward to learning from a group of experienced professionals about the daily work of engineers within the pharmaceutical industry. I am excited to get a better understanding of the development of processes and maintaining of equipment that make it possible for life-saving drugs to be manufactured."

Summer Intern Spotlight
Leeon Israel, '26, Computer Information Systems
Internship: Software engineering intern, John Deere - Moline, Illinois

"I work on the platform engineering team and operate the John Deere Sales Center app that dealers use to make sales to our customers. My team is responsible for the infrastructure, pipelines and deployments for our web application. We are working on implementing artificial intelligence into the sales center application using a Compound AI System.

I'm most looking forward to connecting with other John Deere interns and full-time employees. This internship gives me the opportunity to learn from different professionals and get an understanding for different responsibilities and technologies."

Throughout the summer, the CEC will spotlight undergraduate interns as they gain real world experiences in their engineering or computing field. Here's Abbey Elliott, a rising senior majoring in computer information systems, who is interning at Trane Technologies in Charleston, South Carolina.

"As an energy engineer Intern, I will be using software and existing databases to evaluate how existing infrastructure is functioning for our clients. I have already had the opportunity to grow in my client relation skills by meeting with potential clients to evaluate their current practices. I look forward to future meetings where we will make recommendations for new innovative technologies that promote cost savings and energy conservation within their organization.

I get the opportunity to learn from experts in the field, while also developing software that will ease the process of identifying business solutions for energy engineers. I am excited to continue meeting other interns throughout the country and grow in my technical, analytical and problem-solving skills!"