Blogs

Published September 9, 2026 | 2 min read | Events Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences Ph.D. student Praveen Gajula, Assistant Professor Dr. Kaylee South, and M.S. student Colin Fite attended the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Conference in Dallas, Texas, this summer. The team presented research through both…

Published August 19, 2026 | 5 min read   Growing plants without traditional soil has been an increasingly important approach in controlled environment agriculture. Two of the most widely recognized systems are hydroponics and aquaponics. While both rely on water to support plant growth, they differ in how nutrients are delivered…

Published August 11, 2026 | 3 min read | Intern Spotlight   Quick Facts: University: University of Virginia Major: Neuroscience Internship Role: BioTech Hometown: Danville, Virginia Internship: Summer 2026   This summer, IALR welcomed Shemariah Jones as one of the CEA Innovation Center’s Biotechnology interns. Throughout her internship, Shemariah gained first-hand experience in applied…

  Published August 10, 2026 | 3 min read | Intern Spotlight   Quick Facts:  University: University of Virginia Major: Neuroscience Internship Role: BioTech Hometown: Gretna, Virginia Internship: Summer 2026     This summer, IALR welcomed Vivian Taylor as one of the CEA Innovation Center’s Biotechnology interns. During her eight-week internship, Vivian…

Published August 5, 2026 | 3 min read | Intern Spotlight   Quick Facts: University: Virginia Tech Major: Environmental Policy & Planning (Bachelor of Arts in Public & Urban Affairs) Internship Role: AgTech Hometown: Altavista, Virginia Internship: Summer 2026   For the third summer in a row, IALR welcomed John…

Published August 4, 2026 | 3 min read | Intern Spotlight Quick Facts: University: Ferrum College Major: Agriculture Science with Horticulture Emphasis Internship Role: AgTech Hometown: Martinsville, Virginia Internship: Summer 2026   This summer, IALR welcomed Gracie Edwards as one of the CEA Innovation Center’s AgTech interns. Throughout her internship,…

Published August 4, 2026 | 3 min Read | Intern Spotlight  Quick Facts: University: Old Dominion University Major: Strategic Communications Minor: Community Health Internship Role: Marketing & Communications Hometown: Altavista, Virginia Internship: Summer 2026   This summer, IALR welcomed Ashyna Robinson as the CEA Innovation Center’s first Marketing & Communications…

Published July 8, 2026 | 5 min read| Career Exploration Often when people think of agriculture, they picture wide-open fields, tractors, and traditional farming. While those careers remain essential, today’s agricultural industry has evolved into a high tech, multidisciplinary field. With this evolution, many opportunities are now available for individuals…

The CEA Innovation Center was excited to attend Indoor Ag‑Con 2026 in Las Vegas. The event featured crop and sector-focused education tracks, highlighting trends such as automation, system integration, and crop diversification strategies. We enjoyed connecting with growers, innovators, and researchers through the conference’s networking opportunities and show‑floor conversations. Our…

The CEA Summit East is back for the fourth year in 2025. Join us in Danville, VA, Sept 9th – 10th. Read the full press release on our partner’s website: https://indoor.ag/get-ready-to-grow-smarter-cea-summit-east-2025-returns-to-virginia-this-september/

Check out this article published in June 2025, written by Tad Dickens at Cardinal News, highlighting some of the research and education taking place at the CEA Innovation Center and the growing CEA industry: https://cardinalnews.org/2025/06/23/vertical-farming-looking-up-rural-virginia-controlled-environment-agriculture-takes-root/

Colin Fite completed dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry (with a minor in Mathematics) and Biochemistry (with a concentration in Biology) during his undergraduate studies at East Carolina University. During his time at ECU, he gathered technical skills in molecular techniques and immunohistochemistry through undergraduate research with maize. Additionally,…

Brandan Shur, PhD Student studying under Dr. Michael Evan’s supervision in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, was featured in a VT News video titled “Small plant, big impact.” This video interview showcases some of the work that Brandan is conducting as part of his dissertation to help advance…

I’m Praveen Gajula, a PhD student in Horticulture at Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, working in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center under the supervision of Dr. Kaylee South. My research focuses on plant pathogen management in soilless systems, utilizing RNAi-based biofungicides to control gray mold…

Team members from the CEA Innovation Center traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to attend the 13th annual Indoor Ag-Con. The event was held at the Westgate March 11-12, 2025. The CEA Innovation Center had a booth at the Expo where the team made new connections with growers, suppliers, educators, researchers,…

Dr. Tim Durham, Associate Professor of Crop Science at Ferrum College, worked in the CEA Innovation Center with Dr. Kaylee South during an IALR Fellowship. Learn more about his time in the Innovation Center on the IALR website: https://www.ialr.org/ferrum-professor-diversifying-cea-knowledge-during-ialr-fellowship/

The CEA Innovation Center co-hosted with Indoor Ag-Con a successful third-annual event. See the full news story here: https://www.ialr.org/third-annual-cea-summit-east-sparks-innovation-and-collaboration-in-virginia/

Exciting news! The VA Governor is headed to the CEA Summit East. Check it out here: https://www.ialr.org/virginia-governor-glenn-youngkin-to-deliver-opening-keynote-address-at-cea-summit-east/

Mitchell Doss, former CEA Innovation Center employee and VT M.S. student in Dr. Michael Evans’s lab tells his story in an interview with IALR. See the full story here: https://www.ialr.org/an-ialr-career-path-from-two-time-intern-to-employee/

Two students, Jacob Haymore and Cameron Dallas, working in Dr. Kaylee South’s lab were featured in an IALR News Story. Read more on the IALR website: https://www.ialr.org/college-students-working-in-cea-innovation-center/