August 09, 2024

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) hosted 13 summer interns for a paid, eight-week experience in summer 2024. 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.

A few common themes that emerged during the interns’ final presentations on Aug. 1 were learning new skills, gaining confidence and making real contributions.

“We love seeing the meaningful contributions our summer interns make across our whole organization. Paid internships and other work-based learning programs are win-win opportunities for students and employers alike.” – Dr. Julie Brown, Vice President, Advanced Learning, IALR

2024 Summer Interns at Work

Below is a short recap of what each intern contributed to IALR during their summer internship.

  • Ethan Wilkerson, IT Intern: Wilkerson spent the summer growing his information technology (IT) skills by responding to help desk tickets, ensuring proper technology setup in the IALR Conference Center meeting spaces, and working on large projects with the IT team. Wilkerson studies Cybersecurity at Southside Virginia Community College.
  • Reno McNeal, Facilities Intern: McNeal supported IALR’s Facilities team, learning about the behind-the-scenes operations and different trades. Among other projects, McNeal conducted numerous routine inspections on fire extinguishers and emergency showers across the IALR campus. McNeal studies Music Performance at Averett University.
  • Elizabeth McAdams, Agricultural Technology Intern: McAdams supported the overall operations in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center and conducted an experiment testing the effects of different beneficial bacterial endophytes, or biostimulants, on broccoli microgreen yield. McAdams studies Food Science & Technology at Virginia Tech.
  • Nicholas Breen, Agricultural Technology Intern: working in the CEA Innovation Center, Breen conducted an experiment on the growth potential of six different edible flowers in a CEA environment. Breen studies Biology at Averett University.
  • Evelyn Larking, Coding and Robotics Intern: Larking spent the summer exploring how to implement mathematics and computer code to track and analyze plant movement with experiments on IALR’s Spatially and Mechanically Accurate Table (SMART) Platform. Larking studies Mathematics and Music Composition at James Madison University.
  • Lance Mitchell, Biotechnology Intern: In addition to providing general support for the Plant Endophyte Research Center, Mitchell conducted an experiment focused on the effectiveness of certain bacteria in improving lettuce growth in salty soil. Mitchell studies Microbiology at Virginia Tech.
  • Savannah Overby, GO TEC Intern: Working with the Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) program and supporting the overall work of the Advanced Learning division, Overby conducted research, assisted with data collection and analysis and helped with several camps and field trips throughout the summer. Overby studies Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia.
  • Amaiya Griffin, Human Resources: Griffin supported the IALR Human Resources department by sending daily staff recognitions for birthdays and work anniversaries, suggesting revisions to the company handbook and storing and organizing interview notes. Griffin studies Business Management at Norfolk State University.
  • Addyson Hunsicker and Aryan Kulkarni, Southern Virginia Regional Alliance Interns: Hunsicker and Kulkarni worked with the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA) and the Economic Development division of IALR this summer. Throughout their internship, Hunsicker and Kulkarni completed several projects for our region including updating websites, developing and updating databases for economic development teams to utilize, assisting with events and their preparation, and analyzing wage, job classification and demographic data for several of SVRA’s current projects. Hunsicker studies Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University. Kulkarni is enrolled at the University of Virginia, where he will study Computer Science and Finance.
  • Gabrielle Griffin, STEM and EmPOWER Intern: Griffin analyzed various data from surveys and event participants, including data from the 2022 Career ChoICE Youth Expo and teacher externs. She also supported many of IALR’s Work-Based Learning programs. Griffin studies Mathematics and Education at Averett University.
  • Alex Pearson, Marketing and Development Intern: Working with the Advanced Learning division at IALR, Pearson spent the summer creating social media content and other marketing materials for the Wonder Community of Lifelong Learning and the Dan River Year AmeriCorps program. Pearson studies Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Management at Virginia Tech.
  • Finn Holbrook, Communications Intern: Holbrook spent the summer developing social media marketing; creating written and digital content; photographing various events in the IALR Conference Center; and supporting brand engagement and asset management. Holbrook studies English at the University of Virginia.

Available summer internship positions for 2024 will be posted in early spring 2024. Candidates must be high school graduates with plans to attend college in fall 2024, undergraduate or graduate-level college students, or recent college graduates within the last 12 months.

All internship positions will be shared on the IALR Internships Page.