“My favorite part has been seeing the progress of the plants daily. Watching them start as little seeds and then grow into some pretty big plants is very cool.” – Jacob Haymore, Undergraduate Research Technician with the CEA Innovation Center
Working part-time as Undergraduate Research Technicians in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center, Jacob Haymore and Cameron Dallas have gained valuable experience and supported vital research projects.
A joint project between Virginia Tech and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), the CEA Innovation Center is an agricultural technology training center, research hub and demonstration site that connects academia, industry and producers to move the CEA industry forward. The Innovation Center is housed primarily within a modern greenhouse complex on IALR’s campus.
“Bringing students into this ecosystem for impactful employment opportunities fits the mission of the CEA Innovation Center and will contribute to the growth of the CEA workforce.” – Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President, Applied Research at IALR and Co-Director of the CEA Innovation Center
Haymore’s position is funded through an internal Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences grant focused on hydroponic herb production. A 2022 Chatham High School graduate on the verge of completing his associate degree in liberal arts from Danville Community College, Haymore did not have much experience working with plants. A family friend told him about the position, and he applied. He started in December 2023 and plans to continue working in the CEA Innovation Center through the summer.
Jacob Haymore, a Danville Community College student working as an Undergraduate Research Technician in the CEA Innovation Center.
“The idea of working in a greenhouse was interesting to me,” Haymore said. “I like that I’m not stuck in an office. I get to be hands-on and active.”
As a kid, Dallas learned about agriculture while helping on his grandmother’s farm. A current accounting student at Averett University hoping to pursue a real estate career, Dallas found the CEA position through Averett’s Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness. Dallas started working in the CEA Innovation Center in September and will conclude his term upon graduation. Dallas’s position is funded through the Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and focuses on vertical farm and greenhouse projects and greenhouse management tasks.
“I felt like something was missing,” Dallas said. “I was doing the typical senior stuff. This turned out to be a great opportunity for me.”
Cameron Dallas, an Averett University student working as an Undergraduate Research Technician in the CEA Innovation Center.
Dallas and Haymore are supporting research experiments on irrigation rates in microgreens, fertilizer rates for dill and fennel, and several projects on the SMART Tables. Some of their daily tasks include data collection, seed sowing, irrigation, treatment application, data entry and monitoring and adjusting electrical conductivity and pH levels in the hydroponic systems.
“I definitely think this experience will help me in my career, whatever direction I take,” Dallas said.
The students have worked with the entire research team at IALR but primarily report to Dr. Kaylee South, Virginia Tech Assistant Professor of Controlled Environment Agriculture, based at IALR.
“My goal with having undergraduate students working with the CEA Innovation Center is to provide the opportunity to learn about horticulture, controlled environment agriculture, and research. This provides students at this stage in their education the opportunity to explore these areas as potential graduate school majors and career paths, build skills that will be applicable in other industries and learn about the food production/agriculture industry.” – Dr. Kaylee South, Virginia Tech Assistant Professor of Controlled Environment Agriculture
The CEA Innovation Center will continue to recruit and develop undergraduate researchers. Those opportunities are sent directly to colleges and universities in the region when available.
