Qualcomm invests in student success and STEM outreach

26 Jul 2022

Professor John O’Halloran, President of UCC, welcomed Paul Kelleher, Qualcomm Technologies, Senior Director of Engineering to campus recently to celebrate Qualcomm’s support of student-led events, research, outreach, and STEM education at the School of Engineering and Architecture, UCC.

Qualcomm, an electronic engineering giant designing and building microelectronic chips which power today’s most advanced mobile devices, established an office in Cork in 2013. Since then, Qualcomm has engaged in significant collaboration with UCC, funding unique events such as the FIRST Lego League, a programme which engages youth through robotics and engineering, as well as supporting innovative research and sponsoring state-of-the-art equipment for the department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in UCC's School of Engineering and Architecture. A significant number of UCC graduates have since gone on to work for the company.

Speaking of the history of engagement between Qualcomm and UCC, Professor John O’Halloran, President of UCC, said;

"I am delighted to welcome Paul here today to personally thank Qualcomm for the fantastic support they have given Engineering at UCC. We are particularly pleased with our combined initiatives to not just assist the engineers of today through providing the best equipment and resources, but to inspire the scientists of tomorrow through initiatives such as the FIRST Lego League."

Professor Sarah Culloty, Head of the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, UCC, highlighted the impact that Qualcomm’s support has had on UCC students;

"We are extremely grateful to Qualcomm for their continued support of our students, who benefit in a myriad of ways from their involvement. Our longstanding relationship with Qualcomm enhances and enriches the learning and teaching experience, giving students valuable industry insight that will prepare them for life after graduation".

“We are very proud of the support that Qualcomm has generously given over the years to the development of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering discipline in UCC and in support of Dr Emanuel Popovici’s research and outreach work to promote the profession among the young. This support has been instrumental in modernising our lab facilities for the benefit of our students and their own research projects in areas of relevance to Qualcomm”, said Professor Jorge Oliveira, Head of UCC’s School of Engineering and Architecture.

About Qualcomm:

Qualcomm is an American telecommunications company which produces semiconductors, software and wireless technology. Founded in 1985 by electronic engineer Irwin Jacobs, Qualcomm established innovative technology which used CDMA (code division multiple access) to harness wireless transmissions. This technology formed the basis for mobile phones and later, mobile broadband. Qualcomm has been instrumental in the development of 3G, 4G and 5G technology. In 2013, Qualcomm established a European base in Cork. Over the last 7 years, the Cork engineering team has grown to over 300+ engineers and is continuing to grow. Discover more