As the school year begins and teachers everywhere do their best to get kids to turn off their cell phones and put away their PDAs, students in one innovative program may actually be encouraged to play with their wireless gizmos.

Auburn University is launching the nation's first bachelor's degree program in wireless engineering with a $25 million grant from alumnus and former Vodafone chairman Samuel Ginn. Establishment of the program reflects the rising demand for wireless-savvy IT workers, says professor Victor Nelson, chairman of the Wireless Engineering Research & Education Center's curriculum committee. About 30 students have signed up for the program.