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RCA Scholarship Committee Announces 2021 Awards and New Programs published April 8, 2021

RCA Scholarship Committee Announces 2021 Awards and New Programs

Published April 8, 2021


The RCA Scholarship Committee enters 2021 with a modernization plan that increases the efficiency of the committee’s processes, creates an exciting new scholarship fund, and revitalizes a legacy program.  As part of the new plan, many of RCA’s legacy scholarship funds will be combined under a single name, the Captain Bill Finch RCA-Legacy Scholarship Fund.  Further, the committee announced the creation of a new fund called the RCA New Century Scholarship Fund, which will focus on assisting students training for a wireless career in vocational, secondary, international, and graduate institutions.

The RCA Scholarship Committee also announces the following 2021 scholarship awards:
Institute Amount Scholarship / Fund
Montclair State Univ. $4,000 Poppele-Endres RCA-Legacy
Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. $1,500 Fred Link Memorial
Capitol University $1,500 John Dettra Memorial
Cooper Union $1,000 RCA Grant-in-Aid
University of Cincinnati $1,500 Captain Bill Finch Memorial Scholarship
RCA Youth Activities $2,500 Meyer/Goldwater/Bronson Memorial Grant
Stevens Institute of Technology $1000 Buller/Meyerson/Biggs Memorial
Georgia Tech/Cooper Union $1,000 Facella-Barone-DiBlasi Fund
Metropolitan State Col. Of Denver $1,000 Brownson Memorial RCA-Legacy

Scholarship Committee Chair Alan Spindel said “After much research and discussion with stake holders, we reenergized our scholarship program. These changes will allow us to attract more new entrants to wireless careers by helping a broader group of worthy youth.” RCA President John Facella said “Alan has skillfully combined many of our funds into one fund to have more impact. He also created a new fund that includes the previously missing elements of vocational and international schools.”

The RCA Scholarship Committee distributes over fifteen thousand dollars a year in grants. These grants all support students studying wireless or broadcast related disciplines at U.S. colleges and universities. The institutions were either designated by the original donors of scholarship funds or have met RCA criteria for their wireless communications programs. Over fifty years ago, wireless pioneer, inventor, and winner of the RCA Armstrong Medal, Captain W.H. “Bill” Finch convened the first meeting of the RCA Scholarship Committee, beginning a history of support to people studying to become wireless professionals. Today, that legacy continues and enters this
new phase.

The Scholarship Committee chair is Alan Spindel, AG4WK, with committee members Dr. Jim Breakall, W3FET
and Dr. Julio Urbino.

About RCA

Founded in 1909, the Radio Club of America is the oldest, most prestigious group of wireless communications professionals in the world. Members are dedicated to the wireless art and science for the betterment of society. The Radio Club of America is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit www.radioclubofamerica.org. The 2021 Technical Symposium and Awards Banquet will be held in Denver on November 20, 2021.