Name: James Swan '07
Hometown: Exeter, NH

There are certain milestones toddlers reach by age three: scribbling, kicking and throwing a ball, using their 200-word vocabulary to put sentences together. In James Swan’s case, age three marked a uniquely different milestone: he developed a keen interest in computers that has stayed with him throughout life.

James remembers being inquisitive about the computer his grandfather gave his family when he was a toddler. Then, when James was 10, his father picked up an old AT&T 80/88 at a UNH auction. The machine had only a floppy drive and a green and black screen. James eventually used the computer to teach himself programming.

When James got into high school, he did not let the lack of CS courses deter him. He kept teaching himself and took the school’s one networking class his senior year. As he was thinking about college, he had no doubt that he wanted to major in CS.

“I had been saying it for years, and no one believed me,” he said. “Since I was three or four, I knew, but people said I would change my mind.”

He’s been proving them wrong ever since.

James chose UNH for practical purposes: they had a CS degree program, the cost was reasonable, and it was an easy commute from home. Now in his senior year, James has found that the program has value far beyond its practicality. He likes the professors, the structure of the courses, and the fact that there are very diverse subjects to choose from.

In addition to his coursework, James works at the UNH InterOperability Laboratory (IOL), a world-class testing laboratory that works side by side with leading technology companies to improve their products before they get to market. James had the goal of landing this job ever since he took a tour of the facility his senior year in high school. At the IOL, James works with the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) consortium. As part of the job, James tests cutting edge VoIP equipment for companies in industry.

“I never would have learned about VoIP if I hadn’t worked there,” said James. “Now, I have a deep knowledge of it.”

He’s gained more than knowledge. The position at IOL has given him invaluable experience. Last June, the IOL sent him to a large telecommunications conference in Chicago for five days. He helped by demonstrating VoIP at the IOL’s booth.

After James graduates in May, he will gear up to begin the Master's degree program in computer science at UNH. He hasn’t decided which area of computer science he wants to focus on, but he's interested in most aspects of Computer Science including programming, graphics and networking. Programming, however, seems to have a slight edge over the others.

“I thoroughly enjoy programming and typing code all night,” he said. “I enjoy being able to solve problems using a computer and actually understanding how a computer works instead of it just being a gadget.”

- Rachel Purnell, CS Department Staff