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From Intern to Employee

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An IALR Career Path: From Two-Time Intern to Employee

An IALR Career Path: From Two-Time Intern to Employee

Mitchell Doss recently joined the IALR Applied Research team in a new full-time position as Value Chain Coordinator. In this role, Doss will be responsible for developing regional systems for aggregating, storing and distributing agricultural products to build capacity within the agricultural industry and allow small producers to access new markets.

Doss started the position in July 2024, but his involvement with IALR goes back nearly a decade.

From Gretna, Doss participated in one of the first cohorts of the Academy for Engineering and Technology (AET) – a dual-enrollment, STEM-focused program for students in Danville Public Schools and Pittsylvania County Schools, supported by IALR and Danville Community College.

While still in the AET program, Doss completed his first summer internship with IALR – working with Dr. Scott Lowman – a Ph.D. candidate at the time who now serves as IALR’s Vice President of Applied Research – on an early iteration of the Spatially and Mechanically Accurate Robotic Table (SMART) Platform. These platforms use automation, precision and technology to track the growth of dozens of plants over a growth cycle. Most of Doss’ work that summer involved setting up experiments and maintaining plants.

Doss went on to Randolph College, majoring in Environmental Sciences with a double minor in engineering and data science – a combination that equipped him to continue working with IALR’s Applied Research division.

In 2019, Doss participated in IALR’s summer internship program again, this time as a college student. While working with a former drone program that used aerial photography for crop and field analysis, Doss flexed – and continued to develop – skills in data analysis and imaging technologies, which he would continue to use with IALR.

“Those internships helped me realize that I really wanted to be in the STEM field,” Doss said.

After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, Doss returned to IALR to work with the SMART platform, but this time as a graduate research assistant employed with Virginia Tech. He conducted numerous experiments and supervised a cohort of interns every summer to improve the technology and capabilities of the SMART technology.

“Much of our work at IALR focuses on developing career pathways for emerging workers across Southern Virginia in support of strategic industry sectors. Mitchell’s career progression is a great example of the ‘student-to-intern-to-employee’ pathway IALR is able to support within our own organization and in partnership with the region’s education institutions and business community.” – Dr. Julie Brown, IALR, Vice President, Advanced Learning

He also provided occasional support for the Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center and for the Plant Endophyte Research Center, even serving as a co-author on a few articles.

“With his combined expertise in plant sciences and technology, Mitchell embodies the essence of what our Applied Research division is all about.” – Dr. Scott Lowman, IALR, Vice President, Applied Research

Doss is in the final stages of his master’s degree and will defend his thesis in the fall. In the meantime, he decided to continue working at IALR, this time in the new role of Value Chain Coordinator. Doss will be focused on developing a regional food system, which will lead to more regional agricultural jobs and economic activity.

“I am thrilled that I get to continue working with IALR, and I am excited to see the impact that I can make in this role.” – Mitchell Doss, Value Chain Coordinator, former intern

AET Prepares Students for Any Career

AET Prepares Students for Any Career

Over its 10-year existence, more than 200 students have graduated from the Academy for Engineering and Technology – an engineering-focused, dual-enrollment program housed at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR).

“The Academy for Engineering and Technology (AET) is designed to introduce students to engineering as a possible career path,” says John Hatchett, Engineering Instructor for the program.

Driven by partnerships, the program prepares high school juniors and seniors for engineering careers and provides foundational skills – such as effective problem-solving, collaboration and creativity – that benefit students regardless of their career path.

“This program shows students what an engineering career is like and provides some related technical skills. But even more than generating future engineers, AET is here to provide transferable college credits and sought-after soft skills that will position students for success in any career in any industry.” – Dr. Julie Brown, IALR Vice President, Advanced Learning

A Unique Model 

The AET program is a two-year program available for high school juniors and seniors in Danville Public Schools and Pittsylvania County Schools. Students who apply and are accepted spend the first half of their school day at IALR taking math, English and engineering courses before returning to their base school for the afternoon.

During those two years, students earn 32 dual-enrollment credits from Danville Community College. Approximately 50 students (25 juniors and 25 seniors) participate in the program each year.

“We are proud to collaborate with Danville Public Schools, Pittsylvania County Schools and Danville Community College to offer this unique program that serves as a launching pad for students pursuing STEM careers. It’s our strong partnerships and collaborations that drive our impact with this program and in everything we do.” – Telly Tucker, IALR President

The two-year engineering curriculum consists of courses that focus on theory and design. Students also participate in experiential learning activities, such as the Next generation Of Work (NOW) teamship program where student teams, with support from a coach, work to solve a problem that an area business is facing.

The AET program is part of IALR’s commitment to expanding the region’s STEM capacity through formal and informal education opportunities.

From AET to NASA

Shelita Hall, a 2016 graduate of George Washington High School, was part of the first cohort of students to participate in the Academy for Engineering and Technology at IALR.

That experience prepared her for everything that came next.

“AET set the foundation for where I am today,” she said.

Hall initially wanted to study chemical engineering with a particular focus on cosmetic engineering, but she ended up at Norfolk State University with a major in Chemistry focusing on materials engineering. While completing her bachelor’s degree, Hall found that she was more prepared for the rigors of college and challenging STEM courses due to the lessons she learned in AET.

“One of the biggest skills I took away from AET was not to be afraid to ask questions,” Hall said. “I really learned how to ask questions, to work with my peers, to study.”

What started as an internship with NASA has led to a career working with the Space Radiation team. Today, Hall is a Ph.D. student at Norfolk State University and an Engineering Trainee at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

Shelita Hall graduated from the AET program in 2016 and now works at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

“I would not be working for astronauts if it wasn’t for AET. AET laid the foundation for the next steps in my academic journey and career.” – Shelita Hall, 2016 AET Graduate, NASA Engineering Trainee

Transferable Skills for Any Career

While graduates have completed prestigious college programs and have gone on to do important engineering and STEM-focused work for organizations like NASA, not every student becomes an engineer.

And that’s part of the goal. College-level engineering programs experience extremely high attrition rates, but this program allows students to experience engineering before investing time and money into a college program.

Some students enter AET thinking that they want to be engineers but then realize during those two years that engineering is not for them. For others, it may be the inverse: they go through the program exclusively for the dual-enrollment credits but then realize that engineering is a career they want to pursue.

For others who enter without a clear direction, AET helps them discover their passion.

“My number one goal is to be an advisor. I want my students to figure out what’s best for them. When my students decide that engineering or STEM isn’t right for them, that’s still a success story for me and for the program. We helped them find the program and pathway that’s right for them.” – John Hatchett, AET Engineering Instructor

Every student who participates in the program learns critical, transferable skills through classroom and experiential learning. Some of those skills include communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving. One of IALR’s goals is to connect students to careers, and teaching in-demand skills that transfer across industries is a great way to do that.

“The AET program is making a real impact on students, helping them discover their career passions and goals and equipping them with the skills to succeed.” – Dana Silicki, Advanced Learning Program Manager, IALR

Parents in Danville Public Schools or Pittsylvania County Schools who are interested in the AET program for their students should speak to their school counselor and contact Dana Silicki, Advanced Learning Program Manager.

A Win-Win: Students Tackling Real-World Business Problems

A Win-Win: Students Tackling Real-World Business Problems

Alan Pearce, the CEO of Danville-based metal additive manufacturing company FasTech, wanted fresh perspectives on improving the company’s standing as a great place to work.

Who did he turn to for those insights?

A bunch of high school juniors from the Academy for Engineering and Technology (AET).

Through the Next generation Of Work (NOW) teamship program, three teams of high school juniors collaborated with coaches and Pearce to get to the root of the issue and identify possible solutions. As part of the 2024 cohort of the NOW teamship program, 17 students worked with two organizations—FasTech and the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP).

Pearce was amazed by the professionalism, data and knowledge these students shared. His company is trying to recruit two of them to work as interns over the summer, allowing them to execute some of their ideas.

Alan Pearce, CEO of FasTech LLC, listens to a presentation from high school juniors from the Academy for Engineering and Technology as part of the Next generation Of Work (NOW) teamship program.

“When they made their presentation, my biggest regret was that I didn’t bring my management team with me. It was a great professional presentation with some strong data.” – Alan Pearce, CEO, FasTech LLC

This is the fourth year AET students have participated in the teamship model, which is spreading across other Southern Virginia localities. IALR also supported a teamship program for college students in the Hampton Roads region.

“This is an excellent thing to connect schools and business, for both sides,” Pearce said. “The businesses get to start younger, and maybe we can help steer these students.”

Solving Real Business Problems

The teamship model is straightforward: a business presents an open-ended problem to a group of students who, with guidance from a coach, work together to provide solutions.

Past problems have focused on issues such as new product adoption, staffing difficulties and environmental regulations.

“The NOW teamship program provides our AET students with a memorable, impactful work-based learning experience. They learn critical thinking and collaboration skills while providing valuable insights to a business.” – Dana Silicki, IALR, Advanced Learning Program Manager

The primary objective of the teamship experience is to provide the student participants with two essential skills: effective collaboration and problem-solving. Through interview sessions with the businesses, research and data analysis, students figure out the problem and its full context—a critical step in offering potential solutions.

District C, a North Carolina-based nonprofit, developed this framework and is spreading the model throughout the United States.

The model, which was designed to provide value to businesses and benefit the student participants, is part of IALR’s work-based learning system that connects students to careers. With just a five-hour time commitment, companies can gain fresh perspectives on complex problems at no cost, all while helping develop future talent. Students learn to utilize four critical career mindsets—analytical, design, collective and self-aware—not just to solve the problem but to understand it in full. 

Gavin Shields (middle), a junior in the AET program who participated in the teamship program, learned the importance of collaborating with people who have different ideas.

The framework can be customized. For instance, the AET students typically complete the experience in about a month while other organizations may facilitate a more intensive process in just a week.

Connecting Students to Internships

The other organization that offered a problem for AET students to solve was the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership, which aims to improve the internship readiness of Virginia students, institutions and employers. (IALR leads the V-TOP innovative internship effort in GO Virginia Region 3, serving 15 localities across Southern Virginia.)

The main question these students tackled was: How can V-TOP increase student engagement and awareness? V-TOP needs secondary and postsecondary students to place in internships.

Two student teams took two approaches. One focused on improving digital marketing, while the other looked at grassroots efforts. Their recommendations were simple and actionable.

  • Revamp digital marketing strategy to target students directly with engaging content and highlight the benefits of internships.
  • Implement a strong in-person marketing presence at colleges and universities and have the recruited students source the employers.
  • Streamline the internship placement process for both students and businesses.

“I was very impressed with the level of detail they went into, trying to make sure they knew exactly what the problem was and understanding what we are already doing. I thought their insights were very, very valuable.” – Kiana Dillard, IALR Work-Based Learning Coordinator, V-TOP Region 3 Program Coordinator

Kiana Dillard (right), Work-Based Learning Coordinator and V-TOP Region 3 Program Coordinator, discusses the next steps offered by a group of high school juniors through the NOW teamship program.

Gavin Shields, a junior in the AET program who focused on the digital marketing side, learned the importance of collaborating with people who have different ideas.

“We got to solve a real-world business problem, and it felt cool because we were doing something that meant something in school. And we found the root of the problem like we were supposed to. We contributed a lot of new knowledge and ideas.” – Gavin Shields, AET Junior

Dillard will soon join three other IALR staffers – Advanced Learning Program Managers Jessie Vernon and Dana Silicki and John Hatchett, AET Coordinator who is employed by Danville Community College – as a certified coach with District C.,

“I’m seeing this model from all ends,” Dillard said. “It’s just great, and I look forward to coaching students through this process in the future.”

Taking the Experience to College

IALR and AET were the first Virginia-adopters and piloted the District C teamship program with students from AET, which has led to the model spreading across Southern Virginia. Chatham High School Teacher Tara Stafford has run cohorts in the past two years, focusing on problems from the Danville Otterbots and The Bee and Holbrook Hotels.

Teachers from Halifax and Brunswick have been certified, with Lunenburg planning to implement teamship soon.

On the eastern side of the state, Michelle Simmons, V-TOP Project Manager for Region 5 covering the Hampton Roads area, worked directly with District C to get certified as a teamship coach. Simmons and the Teamship Committee decided to implement a week-long intensive experience for college students with both a virtual and in-person option.

“VTOP regional leadership wanted to provide a unique, internship opportunity to students in the region. We hope that sharing our experience with implementing this program will encourage school districts, institutions, and employers to adopt Teamship in their respective spaces.” – Michelle Simmons, V-TOP Region 5 Project Manager

Simmons wanted someone experienced in facilitating teamship programs to provide support, which led her to IALR Advanced Learning Program Manager Jessie Vernon, who led the virtual option for seven students.

“I was so excited when Michelle said they were implementing the teamship model this summer! One of the beautiful things about teamship is its versatility. We utilize the model as a part of the AET junior seminar class over a one-month period. The Hampton Roads program was a one-week intensive, completely outside a class. We haven’t run a virtual teamship program since 2020; the Hampton Roads program had both an in-person and virtual option. As secondary and postsecondary schools try to connect more students with high quality work-based learning experiences, teamship is a great option.” – Jessie Vernon, Advanced Learning Program Manager, IALR

A rising junior at Norfolk State University with a major in Business Marketing and a minor in Mass Communications, McKensi Rice was one of the virtual participants in the teamship opportunity.

“When I saw that we would be working with a real company, this is the experience I need for my future career. And it fit well with my schedule.” – McKensi Rice, Norfolk State University 

Rice and the other students worked with the 757 Collab, an innovation network serving the greater Hampton Roads area, on discovering key metrics to measure success and ways to incentivize innovation and improve the company’s culture.

“This experience was eye-opening and very positive,” Rice said. “It was only five days, but I learned a lot about myself and how to work with others.”

IALR is looking for businesses as well as educators that would be interested in participating in the NOW teamship program. Those who are interested should contact Jessie Vernon, Advanced Learning Program Manager at IALR.

Inside IALR Podcast: The Academy for Engineering and Technology

Inside IALR Podcast: The Academy for Engineering and Technology

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

This episode of Inside IALR 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 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.

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS

LISTEN ON IALR’S SITE

IALR Shares Partnerships, Progress and Transformation in Annual Report

IALR Shares Partnerships, Progress and Transformation in Annual Report

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) has published its 2021-2022 annual report, which highlights innovative and collaborative partnerships across departments that are transforming the economy of Southern Virginia.  

“Significant economic growth has resulted due to robust partnerships across the region. IALR stands ready to serve as Virginia’s go-to partner for education and workforce development, business and economic growth, and a globally competitive business ecosystem.” – IALR President Telly Tucker.

View the Full Report 

One of the pivotal moments of the report period is the creation and adoption of the new IALR Strategic Plan, which will guide IALR’s work and efforts for the next five years. With input from key stakeholders, the plan establishes strategic goals to outline how IALR can best capitalize on its unique strengths to impact the region. 

Just some of the new initiatives and programs launched, announced or expanded during FY 21 and FY 22:  

The Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC™) framework is spreading into schools across the Commonwealth. The GO TEC program is just one component of the newly developed and proven EmPOWER system – an employer-driven model to systematically connect students to careers through career awareness, exposure, and engagement and experience. Future and current members of the workforce, as well as businesses, find joint benefits in problem-solving teamships, apprenticeships, externships and internships, mock interview days and more.  

While striving to promote a diversified economy by serving a variety of industries, much of IALR’s impact in 2021-2022 was in the manufacturing sector. Expanding the existing middle-school-through-college workforce development pipelines, the new Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program is a rapid adult-learner model that prepares talent for jobs in the defense industrial base. ATDM launched in 2020 and is already proving successful and showing what modern public-private partnerships should look like. In addition, IALR partnered with the Commonwealth of Virginia and Danville Regional Foundation to construct the Center for Manufacturing Advancement, a new destination for manufacturers ready to optimize and scale and home to the U.S. Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence.  

Through the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center, a joint project with Virginia Tech, IALR has established itself as a global leader in the CEA industry. The presence of the innovative research and state-of-the-art equipment are already making an impact on Southern Virginia. Thanks to best-in-class resources, including lab spaces and staff, the Applied Research team provided 30 companies with applied research and testing services like analytical chemistry, polymer testing and more.  

In partnership with the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA) and many other economic development organizations, IALR is proud to champion the area while working with local, regional and state partners. In FY 21 and 22, the Southern Virginia region saw $498 million in announced capital investment and 1,288 new jobs. IALR contributed to economic success by serving as a temporary home for growing businesses by providing critical testing services and lab space to innovative companies across industries. The Bridge to Recovery Program connected companies with suppliers and helped businesses become more resilient post-pandemic.  

The Institute Conference Center hosted a variety of events geared toward the growth of industry sectors and Southern Virginia, including trainings and economic development activities. Numerous companies, including anchor and growing employers held successful job fairs, connecting community members with quality employment. An extensive renovation of the main building and a relaunch of Megabytes, IALR’s on-site café, have allowed the Institute Conference Center to provide even better service for the 20,800 guests who visited.  

16 Teachers Sought for Popular, Work-based Learning Coaching Institute Making its Way from NC Across VA

16 Teachers Sought for Popular, Work-based Learning Coaching Institute Making its Way from NC Across VA

IALR, SOVA RISE, SOVA Innovation Hub and Longwood University support grant-funded teaching of District C Teamship Model

John Hatchett (right), coordinator and engineering instructor for the Academy for Engineering and Technology (AET), brainstorms with educators as part of the District C Coaching Institute, which teaches how to implement the Teamship model. Hatchett introduced the model—which pairs teams of students with local businesses to solve a real problem—to his AET juniors in 2020 as part of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research’s Next generation Of Work (NOW) program.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), District C and the SOVA RISE Collaborative (led by the SOVA Innovation Hub and Longwood University) are teaming up to recruit Southern Virginia educators for a cutting-edge coaching program. Sixteen educators from across GO Virginia Region 3 will be selected to join the 2022 Winter/Spring District C Coaching Institute where they will discover how to prepare students for the modern world of work with a unique, work-based learning model.

The District C Coaching Institute (supported by IALR and SOVA RISE) is a professional development experience that empowers educators to bring Teamship, an equitable, team-based internship model, back to their classroom. In Teamship, students use skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creative thinking and citizenship (known as the five C’s expected by the Virginia Department of Education) to solve a real problem for a local business. Teamship may be executed as part of a class, bringing valuable work-based learning to students and building their social capital by connecting them with real companies rather than case studies.

IALR has been implementing the Teamship model through their Next generation Of Work (NOW) program since Spring 2020. “Our first cohort was done completely virtually with our Academy for Engineering and Technology juniors. Despite knowing that they wouldn’t be graded on their participation (due to the pandemic), EVERY student stayed engaged with their team and business partner’s problem and presented their final pitch,” said Jessie Vernon, Advanced Learning at IALR.

Through just four cohorts, 62 students have worked with nine business partners. “With just a five-hour commitment from participating businesses, the potential for each business to work with up to 12 students… not to mention the ROI for businesses as students work to solve major pain points… we feel very strongly this is an amazing work-based learning model for our region,” said Vernon.

The 2022 Winter/Spring District C Coaching Institute will equip regional educators with the skills and tools they need to implement the Teamship model at their school. Each educator selected will receive a grant to cover the cost of their professional development, and each educator’s school will receive a grant to cover the cost for the first year of their membership to District C. The application deadline for the coaching institute is Dec. 14. Educators and businesses interested in more information may contact jessie.vernon@ialr.org.

AET Students Participate in New NOW Program

AET Students Participate in New NOW Program

IALR and the Academy for Engineering and Technology (AET) held the first ever virtual Next generation Of Work (NOW) program in April. Modeled after the District C program in North Carolina, NOW pairs student teams with area companies who pose a problem for the students to solve. Twenty-five local AET juniors participated, and three local companies, including Dewberry, Kyocera and Tyton BioSciences, served as the business partners.

“It’s a really unique way to provide students with a real life, work-based learning experience to solve complex problems in diverse teams,” said Jessie Vernon, IALR Program Coordinator. In addition to student benefits, the program also assists local businesses. It is a minimal time investment of up to five hours, and they receive viable solutions to their problem. The N.C. District C program reports that 93 percent of their business partners have implemented or plan to implement at least part of the solutions the students provided.

Students were first coached on the mindsets and tools needed to work collaboratively to solve their business problem. Students then met with their business partner to learn about their problem. From there, they had roughly four weeks to research, brainstorm and develop their plan, and received feedback from their business partner at the halfway point. Vernon, John Hatchett, AET Coordinator, and Dana Silicki, IALR Program Coordinator, who each completed 60+ hours of training with District C, served as team coaches and provided more frequent support to students. The final event consisted of a 10-minute presentation to the business partner highlighting their solution to the problem, followed by 15 minutes of discussion. Business partners provided real feedback to the students, and the students were also graded on their participation.

Students are taught four principal mindsets: Analytical, Design, Collective and Self-Aware. They are also taught how to use 12 different tools within these mindsets. “This is a very student-driven process,” Vernon said. “After being coached at the program launch on the four mindsets and most of the tools, the students set their own agendas and ideate on their own.”

IALR plans to run various implementations of the program moving forward. This is the first District C-modeled, partner program to be run outside of North Carolina.

“The pleasure and honor of this project was all mine. It is inspiring to see young people critically think like that,” said Jason Wells of Kyocera. “I found the time invested very worthwhile.”

Squad 5, including Bailey Calhoun, Emma Littlefield and DaTaevion Robertson, present their business problem solution to Tyton BioSciences.

 

Squad 8 students Elliot Jones, Zakhyia Stamps, Joe Tramontano and Jaten Yates pitch their solutions to Dewberry.