Inside IALR

Apr 29 2024
Inside IALR Podcast artwork

Inside IALR explores the ways that the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) catalyzes economic transformation. Listen for a behind-the-scenes view of how our programs, people and partnerships are impacting Southern Virginia and beyond. Host Caleb Ayers and Producer Daniel Dalton interview someone new every episode, introducing listeners to IALR leaders and partners, promoting programs and highlighting opportunities to connect with us.  
New episodes are published every other Monday.  

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A New Leader for Southern Virginia's Premier Conference Center

Apr 29 2024 16 mins  
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 d

GO TEC - Generating Talent for Virginia

Apr 15 2024 40 mins  
"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, IALRGreat Opportunities

Connecting People to Resources and Improving Health Outcomes: the REACH Partnership

Mar 31 2024 24 mins  
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 im

CNC Machining Innovation Lab

Mar 18 2024 26 mins  
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 effi

Coming Full Circle as an Intern

Feb 26 2024 22 mins  
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

Cutting-Edge Analytical Chemistry Testing Services

Feb 12 2024 31 mins  
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 an

Industry 4.0: Robots, Automation and Efficiency

Jan 29 2024 27 mins  
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 loc

Behind the Scenes with IALR Support Services

Jan 15 2024 29 mins  
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 d

Circular Fashion and Textile Recycling

Jan 02 2024 25 mins  
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

Advancing the Controlled Environment Agriculture Industry

Dec 11 2023 33 mins  
"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 EngagementThis episode of "Inside IALR" features a roundtable conversation with several leaders involved in the recent creation of a co