Inside IALR

We welcome Tracy Fink, IALR's new Vice President of the Institute Conference Center (ICC), to the team. Tracy explains how her background and experience have prepared her for this role, what grabbed her attention about this opportunity to work with the ICC and outlines her overarching vision for Southern Virginia's premier event venue. She also highlights the ICC's different spaces and capabilities, along with its full-service amenities. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

"The needs across Virginia and the nation are the same. We need to expose students to opportunities earlier, change parents’ mindsets about some of these opportunities, and then bring the voice of business and industry into the classroom. GO TEC is designed to do each of those things and more.” - Dr. Julie Brown, Vice President of Advanced Learning, IALR Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) is Virginia's solution to a dependable pipeline of exceptional talent. In this episode, IALR’s Vice President of Advanced Learning, Dr. Julie Brown, and GO TEC Director Angela Rigney discuss how IALR and our partners prepare the skilled workers of today and tomorrow. GO TEC overview and history (00:58) Talent pathways (02:32) Modules and equipment (04:27) Student experience (07:43) Benefits of being hands-on (09:52) Funding and support (16:39) How and why the modules are chosen (19:06) How GO TEC remains the same across regions (22:18) Economic development and measuring impact (30:47) What is the future (34:32) The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The Regional Engagement to Advance Community Health (REACH) Partnership is a systems approach to improve community health. In this episode of Inside IALR, we speak REACH Program Manager Dr. Cassandra Shelton, Regional Coordinator for the Health Collaborative Maggie Richardson, and Care Coordinator and certified Community Health Worker Cindi Poteat about the program's aim to improve health factors and outcomes by connecting people to available resources. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The “Inside IALR” team showcases the CNC Innovation Lab inside the Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA) with CMA Operations Manager Kevin Thompson and CNC Technologist Jeremiah Williams. This episode highlights how the 5,791-square-foot CNC Machining Innovation Lab enables new and existing businesses to evaluate their processes, build out improvements and incorporate efficiencies without disrupting current operations. This space empowers manufacturers to increase global competitiveness (02:44). They discuss the role of CNC machining (04:18) and its primary role within the manufacturing industry (06:06). The equipment and processes (08:27) are the main attraction for industry. Kevin and Jeremiah explain the specific services provided by the CNC Innovation Lab (14:46) and also provide a short explanation of the Navy's Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) and how the CNC Lab fits into that (19:14). The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The "Inside IALR" team sits down with three former interns, Mitchell Doss (Applied Research), Cassidy Pruitt (Communications) and Lleyton Barber (Economic Development), to discuss what led them to their internship with IALR, what the process was like and their experience (3:15). They realize that they have come full circle from being an intern to being employed: Mitchell is now a Virginia Tech researcher based at IALR and Cassidy is a full-time IALR employee (9:13). They also talk about how their internships helped form their career choices and what interests to pursue afterward (14:01). Mitchell, Cassidy and Lleyton all recommend an internship because of the experience and relationships that are hard to get elsewhere (17:09). For more information on this year’s summer internship opportunities, visit ialr.org/internships. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The "Inside IALR" team sits down with Senior Analytical Chemist, Yimeng “Jack” He, and Vice President of Applied Research, Dr. Scott Lowman, to discuss what analytical chemistry is (1:02). They discuss the primary capabilities and services offered by IALR’s chemistry lab such as Quality Control (QC) testing, stability studies, method development, and optimization and validation (2:21). Jack highlights some of the different pieces of equipment in the lab (9:05) and explains how it compares to other chemistry labs. Dr. Lowman also highlights the differences between fundamental and applied research (25:03) and how the analytical chemistry lab factors into IALR's other research initiatives. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

What is Industry 4.0? It involves interconnected machines and data analysis capabilities, and it's what allows three robots to utilize two CNC machines and several other tools and processes to convert a piece of raw material into a finished packaged product without any human involvement inside IALR's Industry 4.0 Integration Lab. The "Inside IALR" team is on location inside the Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA) with Butch Kendrick, Director of Digital Manufacturing, to outline the goals and capabilities of the Industry 4.0 Integration Lab (0:33), discuss the main principles of Industry 4.0 (1:47), and explain the processes and technologies inside the lab (12:03). Butch describes some of the challenges in designing and implementing the Industry 4.0 Integration lab (17:38) and highlights additional technologies and processes that he hopes to add to the lab in the future (21:13). The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The "Inside IALR" team highlights the support services that help keep IALR running: Facilities Maintenance & Information Technology (IT). This unique (and fun) episode features an engaging conversation with two long-tenured employees, Stewart East, Manager of Facilities Maintenance, and Tim Kruggel, Director of IT. They discuss how, over the years, these two separate departments have worked seamlessly to support our growing campus, team and impact. We also get them to reveal some of the more interesting help desk tickets they have received and situations they have responded to. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The average piece of clothing in the U.S. is now worn just seven times, and worldwide, less than 1% of textile waste gets recycled back into textiles. This special episode of "Inside IALR" features an interview with Iulian Bobe, Co-Founder and Advisor for Circ - a circular fashion company that IALR has supported throughout its lifecycle with a variety of analytical testing services and lab space. Bobe shares the history of Circ, how it started as a technology company to extract sugars and oils from tobacco to produce biofuels, and how it developed a new method to reduce poly-cotton clothing waste. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

"GO Virginia Region 3 and IALR are well poised to be the leader in the Commonwealth for Controlled Environment Agriculture." - Ellie Travis, Senior Economic Development Specialist, Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement This episode of "Inside IALR" features a roundtable conversation with several leaders involved in the recent creation of a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) Roadmap Strategy for GO Virginia Region 3: They discuss the current state of the CEA industry as a whole, but specifically in GO Virginia Region 3. While discussing the Roadmap, they explain how CEA represents tremendous economic opportunity and growth potential for Virginia. Some of the directives outlined in the CEA roadmap include establishing a CEA hub that will focus on awareness and informational campaigns, new venture and new enterprise development assistance, expanding CEA technical assistance, accelerating Region 3 site development and continuing and enhancing CEA-relevant workforce development and talent. Read More The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The "Inside IALR" team is joined by two energetic leaders: Danville Community College President Dr. Jerry Wallace and IALR President Telly Tucker. In their conversation, they discuss the strategic, diverse partnership between DCC and IALR, how each organization enhances each other's work and the critical roles that we play in economic development initiatives, workforce training and more in Southern Virginia. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The "Inside IALR" team highlights the Expanding Talent through Registered Apprenticeship (ExTRA) program and how it supports Southern Virginia employers in exploring and establishing registered apprenticeship programs with the Virginia Department of Labor & Industry. This special edition episode features a conversation with IALR Advanced Learning Apprenticeship Coordinator Natori Neal, Danville Life Saving Crew Chief Executive Officer Johnny Mills and Outreach Recruiting and Training Manager Jamie Lynn Lindley, of Comfort Systems USA MidAtlantic. They discuss what IALR's role is in developing apprenticeship programs across Southern Virginia (00:54), how an apprenticeship differs from a traditional employment opportunity (01:48) and the benefits of apprenticeships for employers and businesses (15:46) and the impact moving forward. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The tenth episode of “Inside IALR” focuses on the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program. First, ATDM Director Dr. Debra Holley (00:09) provides an overview of the ATDM program based at IALR, highlighting why this is a unique training opportunity. She explains the significance of this program and outlines how it will scale to graduate 800-1000 students annually by 2025. Then ATDM CNC Machining student Zeke Gibson (17:03) and Quality Control Inspection (Metrology) student Nicholas McCants (24:02) give insight into their background before joining ATDM and how they found out about the program. They also discuss their experience with ATDM as they near completion before starting new careers. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The "Inside IALR" team highlights the impact of the recent Career ChoICE Youth Expo events in Farmville and Chatham. This special edition episode features a conversation with IALR Advanced Learning Program Manager Jessie Vernon, Janet Davis of Danville Utilities and Karen Oakes from Averett University School of Nursing. They each give insight into their organization's participation over the years, explain how the event and individual activity stations have evolved, tell stories of memorable student interactions and share the impact the expo makes both for the employers and organizations who provide activity stations and for the students who participate. Over its 10-year history, 36,710 students have participated in this event. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The eighth episode of “Inside IALR” focuses on the recent Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East event. This special edition episode features interviews with Virginia Secretary of Forestry and Agriculture Matthew Lohr (2:11), IALR's Dr. Scott Lowman (9:05), AeroFarms' Guy Blanchard (21:49), Virginia Tech's Dr. Kaylee South (30:34), Indoor Ag-Con's Brian Sullivan (40:27) and Virginia Tech's Dr. Michael Schwartz (45:50). Each interview provides unique insights into the growth and potential of the CEA industry and highlights the impact and significance of events like the CEA Summit East for the industry. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The seventh episode of “Inside IALR” focuses on the Institute Conference Center (ICC) with Leslie Dobbins, Vice President of the ICC. Boasting dynamic, flexible spaces, the ICC can support events of all types and sizes, ranging from a single meeting with a handful of people to a multi-day conference with hundreds of people. Other services included wrap-around support amenities like catering, technology offerings and event planning. While sharing stories from her 20-year career with the ICC, Leslie explains how the Institute Conference Center contributes to IALR's mission of economic transformation. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The sixth episode of “Inside IALR” focuses on two AmeriCorps programs facilitated by our Advanced Learning division: the Dan River Year and REACH programs. Advanced Learning Program Manager, Dana Silicki, provides insight on what AmeriCorps is, the background on IALR's involvement with AmeriCorps, what these programs set out to accomplish, and their impact on the community and program members. Both the REACH (Public Health) and Dan River Year (STEM/Literacy Education) AmeriCorps programs are seeking members. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The fifth episode of “Inside IALR” focuses on economic development with Linda Green, Vice President, Economic Development and Executive Director of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA). She defines economic development, emphasizing that it is not a simple, short-term or one-size-fits-all approach. Linda shares how her team works to recruit companies and promote growth for existing industries, highlights the selling points they make to companies, and explains what economic development looks like in Southern Virginia. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The fourth episode of “Inside IALR” focuses on some of the research offered by the Applied Research division with Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President, Applied Research. Along with the overview, Dr. Lowman gives an in-depth view of the Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center, the CEA Summit East and the growth of the CEA industry in Virginia and around the world. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories

The third episode of “Inside IALR” focuses on some of the programs offered by the Manufacturing Advancement division with Todd Yeatts, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Advancement. Along with the overview, Todd gives an in-depth view of the new Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA) on IALR's campus. While highlighting the CMA's purpose and capabilities, Todd focuses on the facility's technology, partnerships, innovation and impact. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far-reaching. Get updates from IALR on other channels: Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Email NewsletterNews Stories