August 06, 2025

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) hosted 18 summer interns for a paid, eight-week experience in summer 2025. Working across many of IALR’s divisions and departments, each of these interns made significant contributions to IALR’s mission of driving economic transformation in Southern Virginia and beyond.

“Our interns took on real responsibilities and worked hard to support their teams. These experiences help students build skills, explore career paths, and understand what it’s like to work in a professional environment.” – Jessie Vernon, Director, Employer Engagement & Experiential Learning, IALR

A few common themes that emerged during the interns’ final presentations on July 31 were learning new skills, gaining confidence and making real contributions.

Applied Research / CEA Innovation Center

A total of six interns worked with IALR’s Applied Research division. Two worked on using coding and robotics to improve the SMART Platform technology; two worked with biocontrol agents and biostimulants in the Plant Endophyte Research Center; and two conducted research and experiments in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center.

Daryl Brimmer, Coding & Robotics Intern

Brimmer developed a neural network model to detect early signs of plant stress based on motion patterns, achieving over 99% accuracy in its fourth version. His work involved processing more than 13,000 images and applying data augmentation techniques. Brimmer attends George Mason University.                  

Matteo Costagliola, Coding & Robotics Intern

Costagliola improved plant segmentation by developing image processing tools that converted RGB to binary, increasing detection accuracy by 15%. He also created motion-tracking algorithms to study plant response to watering. Costagliola attends George Mason University.

Grant Gibson, Biotechnology Intern

Gibson conducted experiments on the effects of temperature on bacterial endophytes and their ability to promote plant growth. His research showed reduced performance at higher temperatures. Gibson attends Virginia Commonwealth University.

Megan Vaughn, Biotechnology Intern

Vaughn tested biostimulants and biocontrol agents for plant disease resistance and growth promotion under different temperatures. She gained hands-on lab experience conducting assays and troubleshooting environmental challenges in the greenhouse. Vaughn attends Stetson University.

Grayson Snead, Agricultural Technology Research Intern

Snead evaluated the effects of endophyte treatments on microgreens by comparing plant height, fresh weight and dry weight across groups. Her findings informed suggestions for refining experimental design. Snead attends Vanderbilt University.

John Roark, Agricultural Technology Research Intern

Roark contributed to experiments studying substrate effects on edible flower growth and supported other CEA projects including tomato harvesting, LED lighting installation and facility cleaning. Roark attends Virginia Tech.

Data Science / Machine Learning

Five interns worked in IALR’s Manufacturing Advancement division. Three worked together on an algorithm to predict student success in the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program, while two others worked on other projects involving data analysis and machine learning.

Daniel Olasoko, Manufacturing Advancement Intern

Working with a team, Olasoko supported the creation of an algorithm to predict student graduation and employment outcomes, supporting earlier identification of students who may need extra support. He gained both technical and professional experience while deepening his interest in data-driven education reform. Olasoko attends Averett University.

Moiz Fakhri, Manufacturing Advancement Intern

Fakhri collaborated on predictive modeling tools for tracking student success metrics, helping staff make timely interventions. His work involved heavy coding and real-time learning in applied machine learning. Fakhri attends Georgia Tech.

Eli Clark, Manufacturing Advancement Intern

Clark created a modular environment template to support multiple IALR divisions and conducted financial analysis of revenue streams for the Manufacturing Advancement division. His work contributed to improved internal systems and strategic planning. Clark attends Longwood University.

Surya Teja Kudikala, Manufacturing Advancement Intern

Kudikala collected, stored and analyzed operational data from CNC machines to support process improvement in manufacturing. He also built technical and interpersonal skills while connecting with peers through IALR’s summer events. Kudikala attends Michigan Tech.

Thomas James, Manufacturing Advancement Intern

James compiled and cleaned large datasets for the ATDM program’s predictive algorithm, helping refine its accuracy and usability. He improved both his technical problem-solving and data management skills. James attends Virginia Commonwealth University.

Advanced Learning / Education

The three Advanced Learning interns provided a range of support for the division’s three primary focus areas: STEM Education, connecting students to careers and service and lifelong learning.

Dilara Sultanova, EmPOWER Intern

Sultanova automated survey workflows using Google Document AI, reducing manual labor and improving scalability for data collection. She also helped build a Career ChoICE microsite, cleaned and evaluated survey data and supported event planning. Sultanova attends Averett University.

Megan Gammon, AmeriCorps and Lifelong Learning Intern

Gammon supported the development and delivery of youth camps and AmeriCorps programs, including planning, supply management and co-leading writing sessions. She gained practical experience in collaboration and inclusive program design. Gammon attends Longwood University.

Dakotah Younger, GO TEC Intern

Younger worked in the GO TEC teacher training lab at IALR, supporting teacher trainings and student field trips focused on CNC machining, robotics and Arduino systems. He also maintained the Babylon Micro-Farm and gained confidence in his mechanical engineering career aspirations. Younger attends Virginia Tech.

Economic Development

Two interns supported the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA), an economic development initiative that IALR partners with and hosts.

Amare White, SVRA Research and Data Analysis Intern

White helped organize and lead a multi-day familiarization tour for regional interns, coordinating housing, entertainment and business visits. He also contributed to workforce pipeline meetings, updated regional fact sheets and websites and appeared in marketing videos. White attends the University of Virginia.

Jacob Trainor, SVRA Research and Data Analysis Intern

Trainor supported workforce and business development efforts by co-leading the familiarization tour and moderating discussions during a regional workforce pipeline meeting. He also updated outreach materials and participated in video shoots for promotional content. Trainor attends Hampden-Sydney College.

Long-Term Interns

IALR also has two interns who started with the organization before the summer and will continue into the fall.

Savannah Callahan, Communications Intern

Callahan led the creation of intern social media spotlights and supported a range of communications efforts, including event photography, graphic design and interviewing a keynote speaker for the Empower Exchange. She also contributed to the development of the Career ChoICE Expo microsite. Callahan is a graduate of Alamance Community College.

Arvan Jindam, IT Intern

Jindam works with the Information Technology team, responding to help desk tickets and supporting technology needs across the organization. As a year-round intern, he contributed to ongoing technical systems and internal improvements. Jindam attends George Mason University.