Inside IALR

Latest Episodes:

Biotechnology for Sustainable Agriculture Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

The Plant Endophyte Research Center at IALR is focused on the use of naturally occurring plant bacteria to help with plant growth promotion and stress response. This is biotechnology in action.
This episode features three of the scientists who run the Plant Endophyte Research: Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President of Applied Research; Dr. Chuansheng Mei, Chief Scientist; and Dr. Sajeewa Amaradasa, Senior Scientist.

Defining biotechnology (01:16)
The research focus of the Plant Endophyte Research Center (03:31)
IALR's role in the biotechnology industry (07:49)
Biotechnology collaboration with partners (12:41)
Primary industries where biotechnology is used (15:10)
The goal of the Plant Endophyte Research Center in the next five years (21:41)

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.
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Working at IALR: Benefits, Culture and Impact Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

LaShaun Graham, Vice President of Human Resources, joins the show to define the IALR company culture and discusses her goals for IALR as a workplace. Graham also highlights

What values and competencies are important (00:53)
How IALR maintains growth, especially with having employees working on different shifts and geographic locations (02:28)
What she wants every IALR employee to say about their work experience (09:14)
The IALR benefits package (10:59)

Workforce Programs, Technology Development and More with Jason Wells Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

Jason Wells, who recently joined IALR as the Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Advancement, joins the show to outline the division's impact and how he plans to contribute to its success. Wells highlights

His career experiences (1:06)
What led him to take this new role with IALR (4:42)
Some of the different programs and focus areas of the Manufacturing Advancement division (7:00)
A three-pronged partnership with the U.S. Navy (13:00)
His vision for the division (19:45)

Two Years for IALR President Telly Tucker Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

IALR President Telly Tucker returns for the one-year anniversary episode of Inside IALR to discuss the biggest successes and lessons learned from his two years with the organization. As IALR continues to grow, Telly explains the level of growth and impact not only regionally but nationally and internationally in areas such as GO TEC, ATDM and Applied Research. Telly also highlights his vision for IALR two years from now.

ATDM Career Fair - Partnering for Success Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

This episode features Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) Industry Engagement Coordinator Justin Scarce, current ATDM Non-destructive Testing student Brandon Payne and Pegasus Steel Senior Talent Acquisition Manager Bria Major. The ATDM career fair gives employers the opportunity to meet, interview and hire ATDM students. With a recent attendance of 115 students and over 25 employers, these fairs help place skilled technicians in the following types of jobs:

Additive Manufacturing
CNC Machining
Non-destructive Testing
Quality Control Inspection (Metrology)
Welding

Justin Scarce talks about the accelerated need for skilled labor and how skilled trades tie into the future of the American dream.

Brandon Payne discusses how he learned about ATDM, his job-seeking experience with employers at the career fair and what he’s hoping to find after graduation.

Bria Major talks about how rewarding it is to both recruit students once they complete the ATDM program and also send employees for further training as an industry sponsor.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) is leading the ATDM program. This is a Navy-funded workforce development and job placement program which rapidly develops skilled technicians for the manufacturing sector supporting national defense.

Learning to solve problems: the Academy for Engineering and Technology May 27, 2024

Show notes

A two-year, dual-enrollment program housed at IALR, the Academy for Engineering and Technology (AET) provides experiential learning activities focused on theory and design.

This episode features AET’s Coordinator and Engineering Instructor, John Hatchett, 2016 graduating AET class and current PhD student, Shelita Hall and 2024 AET graduate Caleb Pearson.

John discusses the goals of the program and highlights how the curriculum provides transferrable skills - like problem-solving and collaboration - that students will need in any career.
Shelita talks about what she is currently doing now and how the AET program helped prepare her for higher education and her career with NASA.
Caleb reflects on what the past two years have been and how it has shaped and ultimately connected everything in his life.

Students earn college credits from Danville Community College in math, engineering and English courses. The program is supported by a partnership between IALR, Danville Community College, Pittsylvania County Schools and Danville Public Schools.

If you or your child is interested in the Academy for Engineering and Technology, please visit ialr.org/aet for more information.

The Wonder Community of Lifelong Learning May 13, 2024

Show notes

The Wonder Community is a lifelong learning program where members join to meet curious people and learn new things. A great network for people of all ages, Wonder provides all types of workshops and skill development opportunities. Brian Stanley, Advanced Learning Program Coordinator, discusses how Wonder got started, shares what makes the community so special and highlights some of the different workshops that have been offered. Jessica Hardy, IT Technician I, shares how she got involved as a member and the skills that she has gained.

If you are interested in joining the Wonder Community, please visit wondercommunity.org. Remember, 60% of your paid membership is donated to a nonprofit of your choice!

A New Leader for Southern Virginia's Premier Conference Center Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

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.

GO TEC - Generating Talent for Virginia Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

"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)

Connecting People to Resources and Improving Health Outcomes: the REACH Partnership Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

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.

What is the REACH Partnership (1:10)
The program's origin and evolution (2:16)
The role that community health workers and coordinated care teams play in the community by connecting people to available resources (5:45)
How the REACH Partnership is helping the community (9:05)
"There is no wrong entry point." (11:29)
The role of the connected REACH AmeriCorps program (12:29)
Lessons learned (14:25)
Measuring impact (17:45)

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