Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

Driving Economic Transformation

Inside IALR Podcast: From 3 Schools to 84:

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Inside IALR Podcast: From 3 Schools to 84: The GO TEC Story

Inside IALR Podcast: From 3 Schools to 84: The GO TEC Story

How do you build a stronger workforce pipeline? You start with middle school students!

In this episode of Inside IALR, host Caleb Ayers sits down with Telly Tucker, Dr. Melanie Lewis, and Jake Taylor to explore the origins, growth, and future of GO TEC (Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers). What began as a pilot program in three schools has expanded to 84 middle schools across Virginia, introducing students to careers in manufacturing, engineering, automation, robotics, welding, additive manufacturing, and many more in-demand career fields.

The conversation explores how GO TEC supports economic development, strengthens the talent pipeline, aligns industry needs with classroom learning, and helps students make informed decisions about their futures. The group also discusses plans for statewide expansion, national growth, and the long-term vision for GO TEC’s impact on workforce development.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Four Months That Changed a Life

Inside IALR Podcast: Four Months That Changed a Life

What do you do when life forces you to start over?

Carrie Williams

For Carrie Williams, the answer was taking a chance on herself. After a divorce left her searching for a more stable future, Carrie relocated from Ohio to Virginia to attend the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program. Four months later, she graduated from the non-destructive testing track and began a new career inspecting critical infrastructure and supporting industries that help keep people safe.

In this episode, Carrie discusses overcoming uncertainty, stepping outside her comfort zone at age 46, and how ATDM helped her develop the skills, confidence, and connections needed to succeed. Carrie also highlights her own career growth in the six months since graduation.

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Inside IALR Podcast: The Intern Roundtable: Career Lessons From the IALR Internship Experience

Inside IALR Podcast: The Intern Roundtable: Career Lessons From the IALR Internship Experience

What happens when you hand the microphones over to the interns?

In this special episode of Inside IALR, President Telly Tucker and Dr. John Hughes, Executive Vice President of Operations, sit down with four summer interns for a candid conversation about career goals, personal growth, college experiences, networking and what it’s really like to work at IALR.

The discussion ranges from robotics and semiconductor design to marketing, sports communications, IT support, coffee habits and even solving Rubik’s Cubes.

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Four Years, Fourfold Growth, a Conversation with IALR President Telly Tucker

Four Years, Fourfold Growth, a Conversation with IALR President Telly Tucker

IALR has grown really fast. But, as President Telly Tucker explains, growth alone isn’t the goal.

In this conversation, Telly reflects on four years as president, sharing what it’s like to lead an organization that’s quadrupled in size, why culture matters more than ever during rapid change, and the real stories that make the work meaningful. It’s a candid look at leadership, impact and what comes next for IALR and the region.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Hands-On, High Stakes: How the Bond Brothers Launched Careers in Defense Manufacturing

Inside IALR Podcast: Hands-On, High Stakes: How the Bond Brothers Launched Careers in Defense Manufacturing

A picture of two brothers.

Cedric and Ethan Bond

Cedric and Ethan Bond are brothers who took very different paths before finding the same destination: training through the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program and careers at Newport News Shipbuilding.

In this episode, they talk about career crossroads, the reality of hands-on training, and why building ships for the U.S. Navy feels personal—especially with a brother currently deployed at sea.

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Inside IALR Podcast: A Steady Flow of Qualified Workers: Defense Manufacturers on the Value of ATDM

Inside IALR Podcast: A Steady Flow of Qualified Workers: Defense Manufacturers on the Value of ATDM

Recruiting skilled manufacturing talent is expensive, time-consuming, and unpredictable. But it doesn’t have to be.

Recorded during a recent career fair for the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program at IALR, this episode features Slade Gardner from Big Metal Additive, John Duncan from Penn United Technology and Ashley Webb from Vulcan Tool Company. They explain why they rely on ATDM to meet their workforce needs.

From reduced training risk to graduates who “hit the ground running,” these employers explain what makes ATDM different and why the program continues to deliver value to companies across the defense industrial base.

Whether you’re hiring one machinist or building a long-term talent pipeline, this is the employer story behind ATDM.

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Inside IALR Podcast: MINI EPISODE: How ATDM Rebuilds Career Paths

Inside IALR Podcast: MINI EPISODE: How ATDM Rebuilds Career Paths

In this special mini episode, IALR President Telly Tucker sits down with Casie Hansen, who recently graduated from the Non-Destructive Testing track of the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM). Casie shares how she discovered ATDM, what it was like to uproot her life and start over at 40 and how the program’s training and wraparound support helped her step confidently into a completely new career path.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Full-Stack Manufacturing Optimization | Bridging the Valley of Death

Inside IALR Podcast: Full-Stack Manufacturing Optimization | Bridging the Valley of Death

What does it actually take to move a new technology from the lab to the shop floor and make it stick?

In this episode of Inside IALR, host Caleb Ayers is joined by Jason Wells, John Ring, Josh Sims, and Jeremiah Williams for a deep dive into IALR’s Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA).

Together, they highlight how CMA functions as a hands-on optimization arm focused on operationalizing existing technologies and helping manufacturers avoid the infamous “valley of death” between readiness levels and real production. It’s not a research institute,

The conversation covers CMA’s full-stack approach to manufacturing advancement, from precision machining, additive post-processing, and metrology to automation, robotics integration and digital/AI enablement.

The team explains how the CMA serves as a non-biased third-party testbed where manufacturers can explore new technologies, validate processes and refine workflows without shutting down production or making massive capital bets. The CMA comes alongside companies as a partner—not a vendor—to help them get to “more, better, faster, cheaper” without just shifting bottlenecks somewhere else.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Living Wages by the Numbers: What 15,000 Job Postings Reveal

Inside IALR Podcast: Living Wages by the Numbers: What 15,000 Job Postings Reveal

What does it really take for families in Southern Virginia to make a living — no extras, just the basics? And are those jobs actually available?

In this data-rich episode, host Caleb Ayers talks with Jessie Vernon, Director of Employer Engagement and Experiential Learning at IALR, and economist Colin Emberland from Chmura Analytics. Together, they break down the Southern Virginia Living Wage and Job Availability Study, comparing today’s landscape to a similar 2016–2017 analysis.

They explore the region’s growing share of higher-wage jobs, a major and urgent gap in healthcare, the evolving role of manufacturing, and how many families can actually meet a living wage with the jobs currently posted. You’ll also hear why education and training pipelines matter, how job quality is just as important as job quantity, and what this all means for employers, educators and residents across GO Virginia Region 3.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Aha Moments and Career Exploration: The GO TEC Classroom Experience

Inside IALR Podcast: Aha Moments and Career Exploration: The GO TEC Classroom Experience

GO TEC — Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers — is transforming how middle schoolers explore potential futures. Today’s episode dives deep into how it works. 

Host Caleb Ayers sits down with GO TEC teachers Laurie Cossaboon and Justin Adams, along with GO TEC Region 3 Training Coordinator Chris Griffith, to unpack the program’s statewide expansion and classroom impact.

The conversation explores the eleven GO TEC modules, which introduce students to everything from precision machining and robotics to cybersecurity, healthcare and virtual reality welding. The guests share how the program adapts to different school schedules, how teachers receive hands‑on training at regional training labs and why the “aha moments” are so frequent in these classes.

They also highlight how GO TEC helps students understand math and science concepts in practical, memorable ways, sometimes even changing how students view themselves and their abilities. With stories ranging from welding tournaments to coding breakthroughs, this episode shows how GO TEC connects curiosity with real opportunity.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Beyond the Surface: Exploring the History, Science, and Impact of Non-Destructive Testing

Inside IALR Podcast: Beyond the Surface: Exploring the History, Science, and Impact of Non-Destructive Testing

What do submarines, aircraft and even theme park rides have in common?

They all rely on Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) to ensure safety and reliability.

In this episode of Inside IALR, host Caleb Ayers talks with Phil Bowers, NDT instructor for the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program, and Michael Donnelly, NDT manager with Industrial Inspection & Analysis at the Center for Manufacturing Advancement. Together, they unpack the fascinating history of NDT — from its origins in the railroad era to its role in modern defense manufacturing — and explore the science behind methods like ultrasonic testing, X-ray imaging and eddy current inspection.

Plus, find out why NDT careers are in high demand and how technology like AI and robotics is shaping the next generation of inspections.

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IALR Campus Closed for the Holidays

IALR Campus Closed for the Holidays

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research will observe its annual holiday closure beginning Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. Our campus will reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.

During this time, all facilities and services will be closed, including:

We look forward to welcoming you back in the new year!

The IALR team wishes you a safe and joyful holiday season with friends and family.

A Holiday Message from IALR President Telly Tucker

As we celebrate this holiday season and prepare to welcome a new year, I want to express my sincere appreciation to our partners, the people and organizations we serve, and the entire Southern Virginia community.

Together, we’ve made incredible strides in advancing innovation, workforce development and economic growth. The impact of our collective work is changing lives and reaching far beyond our region.

This season serves as a reminder of the power of collaboration and the importance of intentionally investing in one another. May your holidays be filled with peace, joy and meaningful time with family and friends.

I look forward to continuing to work with our partners to build on this momentum in 2026 as we continue to drive innovation and create impactful opportunities for all.

Telly Tucker

President, IALR

Inside IALR Podcast: A Day in the Life of a Researcher

Inside IALR Podcast: A Day in the Life of a Researcher

In this episode of Inside IALR, we sit down with two of our most experienced research associates, Amy Turner and Rob Chretien.

Each has more than a decade of hands-on experience in IALR’s research labs. They’ve witnessed significant changes in agricultural research, from theoretical plant genetics to cutting-edge applied science, during that time.

Learn about their work with beneficial plant bacteria (endophytes), precision agriculture and controlled environment systems that promise to revolutionize food production. Hear stories of unusual experiments, like rearing black soldier fly larvae, and discover how partnerships with industry are turning research into real-world solutions.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Why More Companies Are Hiring and Upskilling Talent with ATDM

Inside IALR Podcast: Why More Companies Are Hiring and Upskilling Talent with ATDM

This episode shifts the focus from student success stories to the broader impact of the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program on the maritime industrial base. Joined by Mike Villanueva of BAE Systems, Michael Ripich of ATF, and Justin Scarce from ATDM, the conversation explores how companies are leveraging ATDM graduates to fill vital roles in shipbuilding and defense manufacturing. From welding and NDT to CNC machining, the program’s accelerated, hands-on training is helping employers meet urgent workforce needs.

Hear firsthand accounts of how career fairs at ATDM differ from traditional hiring events, why companies are sending their own employees for upskilling and how ATDM is helping solve one of the nation’s most pressing challenges: building submarines and ships to protect national security.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Practical Tips to Integrate AI in Manufacturing and Business

Inside IALR Podcast: Practical Tips to Integrate AI in Manufacturing and Business

Host Caleb Ayers sits down with Meredith Gregory, Director of Digital Strategy and Program Management, to explore the real-world applications of artificial intelligence in manufacturing and business. Meredith shares her journey from Northern Virginia to IALR, explains the foundational math behind AI and discusses how companies can adopt AI tools to solve specific problems. From resume restructuring to computer vision for defect detection, this episode is packed with valuable insights for anyone interested in integrating AI into their operations.

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Inside IALR Podcast: “Don’t Tell Me No, Tell Me How:” Additive Manufacturing to Support the U.S. Navy

Inside IALR Podcast: “Don’t Tell Me No, Tell Me How:” Additive Manufacturing to Support the U.S. Navy

In this episode of Inside IALR, host Caleb Ayers is joined by Ereina Avery (Austal USA), Jon Harrison (Phillips Corporation), and Jason Wells (IALR) for a deep dive into the Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE). Together, they explore how this unique public-private consortium is transforming the Navy’s supply chain by developing and deploying 3D-printed parts for ships and submarines. From powder bed fusion to wire arc deposition, the team breaks down the technologies, the challenges of scaling additive manufacturing and the mission-driven collaboration that makes it all possible.

Hear how the AM CoE has delivered critical parts in record time, created transferable technical data packages, and built a model for innovation that supports both the warfighter and the future of manufacturing.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Career Demos and Dreams: A Day at Career ChoICE Youth Expo

Inside IALR Podcast: Career Demos and Dreams: A Day at Career ChoICE Youth Expo

In this special episode of Inside IALR, we take you straight to the floor of the Career ChoICE Youth Expo, a dynamic, hands-on career fair designed for middle and high school students across Southern Virginia. Hear directly from students as they explore everything from virtual reality welding and flight simulators to radiologic technology and forestry. Employers and educators share why this event matters—and how it’s helping shape the region’s future workforce. Whether it’s a seventh grader dreaming of the presidency or a tenth grader discovering equestrian veterinary medicine, this episode is packed with inspiration, curiosity, and real-world impact.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Skills, Training and Career Opportunities: ATDM Success Stories

Inside IALR Podcast: Skills, Training and Career Opportunities: ATDM Success Stories

The Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program is preparing the next generation of skilled workers for the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base. With an 85% job placement rate and graduates from nearly every state, ATDM is creating real career opportunities. In this episode, recent graduates Dylan Carter and Angel Gallaher describe how the program equipped them with technical expertise and career-ready confidence.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Balancing Flexibility, Strategy and Exponential Growth: A Conversation with IALR Leadership

Inside IALR Podcast: Balancing Flexibility, Strategy and Exponential Growth: A Conversation with IALR Leadership

In this episode of Inside IALR, we sit down with President Telly Tucker and Executive Vice President of Operations Dr. John Hughes for a wide-ranging conversation about growth, leadership and the mission of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. From managing exponential expansion to filling workforce gaps, Tucker and Hughes reflect on how IALR continues to transform lives in Southern Virginia and beyond. Along the way, they share candid insights on challenges, opportunities, and the people who make it all possible.

This episode offers a thoughtful look behind the curtain at IALR’s momentum, future regional economic transformation, leadership in action, and how innovation takes shape across research, manufacturing, workforce and education.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Women at the Torch: Leading and Inspiring at ATDM

Inside IALR Podcast: Women at the Torch: Leading and Inspiring at ATDM

What is it like to be a woman teaching advanced manufacturing in a field where men make up the majority?

Hear it from three members of the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) instructional team: welding instructor Makayla Baker, metrology instructor Holly Lyle and welding technician Autumn King. As the only women on a team of nearly 40 instructors and technicians, they share their career journeys, classroom experiences and what it means to mentor the next generation of manufacturing talent.

Through their stories, you’ll hear how ATDM’s fast-paced, 600-hour program equips students for life-changing careers in welding, metrology and more—and why representation matters in the skilled trades. This conversation highlights the impact of teaching, perseverance, and opportunity.

Welding instructor Makayla Baker, metrology instructor Holly Lyle and welding technician Autumn King

🎙️Topics Covered:

  • How each instructor found her way into manufacturing and teaching
  • What it’s like to guide students in ATDM’s intensive four-month program
  • Challenges and opportunities for women in male-dominated fields
  • Inspiring student success stories, from “last shot” moments to certification triumphs
  • Why role models matter in shaping the next generation of manufacturing talent

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Inside IALR Podcast: Growing Talent at the CEA Innovation Center

Inside IALR Podcast: Growing Talent at the CEA Innovation Center

What happens when Ph.D. candidates, master’s students, undergrads and interns all share the same greenhouse? You get a powerful, layered research environment that grows more than just plants.

In this episode of Inside IALR, we explore how the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center is not only advancing sustainable agriculture but also training the next generation of researchers and industry leaders. A partnership between IALR and Virginia Tech, the CEA Innovation Center blends hands-on research, mentorship and workforce development.

You’ll hear how students at four different educational levels are conducting applied research on plant disease management, beneficial microbes and nutrient optimization. From mentoring interns to designing dissertation-level experiments, these students are learning and growing.

🎙 Guests:

  • Dr. Kaylee South – Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech (stationed full-time at IALR)
  • Colin Fite – M.S. Student, Virginia Tech
  • Praveen Gajula – Ph.D. Student, Virginia Tech

🔍 Topics Covered:

  • What Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is and why it matters
  • How beneficial microbes are being tested in vertical farms and greenhouses
  • The role of students in maintaining IALR’s demonstration farm
  • Mentorship across education levels—from intern to Ph.D.
  • Career goals of students entering the CEA industry
  • Opportunities for students to join the CEA Innovation Center

Whether you’re an educator, student, grower or just curious about the future of agtech, this episode offers a glimpse into how research, education and industry come together under one greenhouse roof.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Inside the Internship: Stories from IALR’s Summer Interns

Inside IALR Podcast: Inside the Internship: Stories from IALR’s Summer Interns

What is it like to be an intern at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research? In this episode of Inside IALR, hear from five of the 18 interns who spent their summer working across IALR’s divisions—from applied research and economic development to manufacturing advancement and GO TEC.

You’ll hear from:

  • Grayson Snead, an ag tech intern researching bacterial endophytes in broccoli microgreens
  • Dilara Sultanova, a data-savvy Empower intern building automation tools and career resources
  • Daniel Olasoko and Moiz Fakhri, who worked with machine learning models to support student success in the ATDM program
  • Dakotah Younger, who helped train teachers and guide students through hands-on technology with the GO TEC team

They reflect on what they learned, the real-world impact they made, and how the experience is shaping their future careers.

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Inside IALR Podcast: Tracking Plant Growth Pixel by Pixel

Inside IALR Podcast: Tracking Plant Growth Pixel by Pixel

What if you could track a plant’s health and growth every 15 minutes, all automatically and without ever touching it?

In this episode of Inside IALR, Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President of Applied Research at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, explores the SMART Platform—IALR’s Spatially and Mechanically Accurate Robotic Table system. These high-tech tables combine robotics, precision imaging and automation to capture tens of thousands of data points per experiment, helping researchers analyze plant growth, stress response and even subtle movements in real time.

Learn how the SMART Platforms allow for entire plant life-cycle testing for beneficial microbes and enable real-time monitoring of plant health. You’ll hear about how interns have played a central role in coding and refining the system, how companies can contract research on the tables and how this technology is helping lay the groundwork for more sustainable agriculture.

Whether you’re into agtech, robotics, plant biology or data science, this episode connects it all. Plus, you’ll hear how this one-of-a-kind platform is opening doors for students and researchers alike.

🔍 Topics Covered:

  • What makes SMART Platforms unique
  • How 80,000+ images become meaningful plant health data
  • Intern-driven innovation in Python and computer vision
  • Industry collaboration and commercialization opportunities
  • The future of AI in agriculture and early stress detection

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Inside IALR Podcast: Registered Apprenticeship Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Inside IALR Podcast: Registered Apprenticeship Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Registered apprenticeships pair paid, hands-on work with classroom lessons to grow dependable talent. In this Inside IALR episode, host Caleb Ayers talks with:

  • Natori Neal – Apprenticeship Coordinator, IALR’s ExTRA program
  • Jenny Spitzer – Co-owner, Spitzer Inc. (electrical contractors)
  • Josh Arnold – Master Electrician and lead instructor at Spitzer
  • Jacob Oakes – Second-year electrical apprentice

They share insights on:

  • How a registered apprenticeship is structured, from day-one wages to a journeyman credential
  • Building curriculum around the employer’s real work
  • Why covering tuition and books helps apprentices focus and stay
  • Choosing the right mentors
  • Starting with small cohorts to emphasize quality over head-count
  • Utilizing the free support from IALR’s EXTRA program for designing, funding and sustaining apprenticeship programs

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