New class named for C Spire-Nokia Bell Labs joint college fellowship program

RIDGELAND, Miss., Dec. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Three college students from Mississippi's two leading universities have been chosen to participate in the second year of a joint fellowship program between C Spire and Nokia Bell Labs, the world-renowned research organization in information technology and communications.

The C Spire-Nokia Bell Labs Fellowship Program offers college juniors and seniors majoring in computer science and electrical or computer engineering at the University of Mississippi or Mississippi State University an opportunity to conduct relevant industry research alongside some of the world's leading scientists, engineers and technologists.

Ole Miss seniors Bailee Bellevue and Jake McCall and Mississippi State senior John Grogan were chosen for the 2018 fellowship program. Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and have an interest in working in a related technology field after graduation.

Bellevue, a Mandeville, LA native, and McCall, a Millington, TN native, are majoring in electrical engineering and Grogan, a Clinton, MS native, is a computer science major.  All three interned at C Spire this summer and are interested in working for the company after graduation in May 2019, although McCall may stay in school to pursue a master's degree.

Bellevue and McCall are both focusing their studies on network access while Grogan is focusing on computer network security.

"These students are some of our best and brightest and represent future leaders in our industry," said C Spire President Stephen Bye.  "This fellowship program allows them to hone their academic and research skills by working on projects that will make a difference."

The Mississippi-based diversified telecommunications and technology services company has long supported academic excellence in colleges and universities, but in recent years has focused on working with educators, schools and community-based training efforts to help students and learners turn their education and training into a professional career.

Bye and Nokia Bell Labs President Marcus Weldon share a passion for technology innovation and in 2017 developed a fellowship program that is tailored to the specific needs of the future workforce in the southeastern U.S.

"We're very excited to partner with C Spire for this fellowship program as it provides these students with incredible opportunities to work with Bell Labs researchers to help us invent the future," Weldon said.  "We're always looking for bright minds to join our team and this fellowship program is an innovative way for us to tap into the tremendous talent found at Ole Miss and Mississippi State University."

Workforce development is a key part of the C Spire Tech Movement initiative launched in September 2017 to deliver on its promise to help create and retain a 21^st century technology workforce in this region that will boost the state's economy, promote business expansion and improve the overall quality of life.

Other elements of the initiative include deployment of broadband internet for homes and businesses and other efforts designed to drive adoption and integration of the latest technological innovations, such as smart cities, businesses and homes, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, precision agriculture and the Internet of Things.

C Spire is currently accepting applications for the next round of college fellowships from computer science and computer or electrical engineering majors at Ole Miss and Mississippi State.  Fellowship recipients receive a $5,000 academic stipend for the year, mentoring from C Spire and Bell Labs professionals, internships and full-time employment opportunities.

"It's a great way to apply the latest academic learning and cutting-edge research to solve challenges we are facing today and in the future," Bye said, adding that the prestigious fellowship program is seeking students with a demonstrated interest in the fields of communications and information technology.

To learn more or apply for the C Spire-Nokia Bells Labs Fellowship Program, go to cspire.com/fellowship or cspire.com/careers.  The deadline to submit applications for the 2019 program is Jan. 1, 2019.  For more information about the C Spire Tech Movement initiative, visit .

About C Spire
C Spire is a leading technology company committed to transforming its service areas through the C Spire Tech Movement, which includes the deployment of broadband internet to homes and small businesses, technology innovation and the creation and retention of a 21^st century technology workforce in its region.  The company provides world-class, customer-inspired wireless communications, 1 Gigabit consumer Internet access as well as a full suite of dedicated Internet, wireless, IP Voice, data and cloud services for businesses.  This news release and other announcements are available at . For more information about C Spire, visit  or follow us on Facebook at  or Twitter at .

About Nokia Bell Labs
Nokia Bell Labs is the world-renowned industrial research arm of Nokia. Over its 92-year history, Bell Labs has invented many of the foundational technologies that underpin information and communications networks and all digital devices and systems. This research has resulted in 8 Nobel Prizes, three Turing Awards, three Japan Prizes, a plethora of National Medals of Science and Engineering, as well as an Oscar, two Grammy awards and an Emmy award for technical innovation. For more information, visit .

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