History of the Vodafone-US Fellows Initiative

VodafoneThe AirTouch Communications Foundation was created in 1994 with the vision of making a positive and enduring impact on the communities in the area. Following the successful merger of AirTouch with the Vodafone Group, to form Vodafone Americas Inc., the foundation's name was changed to the Vodafone-US Foundation.

This foundation, located in Walnut Creek, Ca. supports programs designed to enhance the quality of life for people primarily in San Francisco area and the Bay Area with a focus on: strengthening families and supporting children and youth, leadership development, civic participation and urban issues, the arts and special projects.

However, in August 2003, the Foundation awarded $12 million in grants, shared among Auburn University, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to establish and maintain a new program - the Vodafone Fellows Initiative - aimed at providing support for academics in the advancement of wireless technology. This initiative was the first major foundation effort involving higher educational institutions and wireless technology.  

In addition to providing both tuition and full support for undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships in wireless engineering, the grants also support curriculum and research development in wireless engineering and provide for a pool of funds for interscholastic seminars, web casts and symposiums.

This conference is one of a series designed to bring together Vodafone-U.S. Foundation Fellows with other top international academic and industry professionals to share knowledge and crate a community of scholars dedicated to the advancement of wireless technology. 

Vodafone Americas Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group, Plc which is headquartered in the United Kingdom and is the world's largest mobile telecommunications network company, with operations in 26 countries and more than 151 million customers worldwide.

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