The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) has published its Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report, showcasing a year of catalytic investments, workforce development and innovation that continue to benefit Southern Virginia and impact the nation.
Highlights include major economic development wins, expanded workforce programs and campus growth.
“As I reflect on FY25, one word captures the essence of our work: catalyst.” – Telly Tucker, IALR President
Historic Economic Development Milestone
Microporous’s decision to locate at the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill marks a transformative achievement for the region.
- $1.35 billion investment
- 2,015 new jobs
This project is the culmination of 20 years of strategic planning and collaboration among IALR, the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA) and state and local partners.
“The workforce development and recruitment support were the key differentiator that led to Microporous’ decision to choose Virginia over other competing states.” – Brad Reed, VP, Corporate Development, Microporous LLC
Career Exploration at Scale: GO TEC
The Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) program introduces middle school students to STEM, advanced manufacturing and healthcare careers.
- 11,000+ students engaged
- 76 schools across 49 divisions
GO TEC builds a robust talent pipeline for businesses in Virginia through engaging and memorable introductions to strategic career sectors and opportunities
“The effectiveness of the GO TEC program – and how it funnels directly into a variety of other strong, proven workforce training programs – is a primary selling point for Southern Virginia.” – Linda Green, Vice President of Economic Development, IALR; Executive Director, SVRA
Growing the Defense Manufacturing Workforce, Nationally
As the first prototype of its kind, the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program is administered by IALR and continues to scale nationally. The new ATDM Maritime Training Center opened on IALR’s campus in January of 2025.
As of July 1, 2025:
- Nearly 1,000 graduates from 46 states
- 85–90% employment placement rate
- 200+ participating employers
“ATDM is a great model for us.” – Jim Kilby, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy
Manufacturing Innovation and Optimization
The Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA) at IALR assists manufacturers in optimizing their operations and implementing advanced technologies.
- Obtained ISO 9001:2015 certification for CNC Machining Innovation and Precision Metrology Labs
- Machined 217 parts for naval vessels
Inside the IALR’s CMA, the collaborative Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) supports the U.S. Navy by producing sustainment parts and technical data packages.
“The work that we do at the AM CoE is transferable to the supply base.” – Ereina Avery, Austal USA
Learning that Creates Economic Opportunity
IALR’s Advanced Learning team provides a range of programming, business support services and opportunities to further three primary goals: expand STEM capacity, connect students to careers and better the community with service and lifelong learning.
- 21,036 AmeriCorps service hours
- 16,500+ total STEM-H participants
“We see STEM education, service learning and work-based learning as foundational pillars of economic transformation.” – John H. Hughes, IV, Ed.D., Executive Vice President, Operations
Research Services and Partnerships to Grow Global Industries
IALR’s applied research work connects academia, industry and the public and private sectors through:
- Innovative research
- Collaborative partnerships
- Reliable testing and services
“IALR provides us with great, affordable research services. Working with IALR has increased our capability to test our products.” – Jiarui Li, CEO, Innatrix
Campus Growth and Impact
IALR’s campus serves as a hub for collaboration and success.
- 33,481 event attendees at the Conference Center
- 20+ businesses and organizations housed on campus
- 350,000 square feet across seven buildings
“At IALR, the facilities and people are superb.” – Chris Lester, Ph.D., Owner, Lester Polymer Insights LLC.
Anniversaries
IALR celebrated several important anniversaries in the past fiscal year.
- IALR’s main building, 150 Slayton Avenue, opened 20 years ago. This iconic building continues serving clients and hosting events that benefit Southern Virginia and beyond.
- The Integrated Machining Technology program celebrated its 10th anniversary. A partnership with Danville Community College, this program has trained 160 graduates and has a 100% job placement rate.
- The Dan River Year AmeriCorps program completed its 10th year. This unique service opportunity continues to evolve to meet community needs, ranging from STEM and literacy support for students to community health education.
