This summer, we were thrilled to welcome two talented interns through the IALR Summer Internship Program. Stationed at the CEA Innovation Center, they played an active role in maintaining both our greenhouse and vertical farming systems, while also spearheading independent research projects. Their work focused on cultivating edible flowers, microgreens, and microtomatoes—applying treatments, collecting and analyzing data, and ultimately presenting their findings through formal reports and research presentations. Read on to meet our interns and learn more about their exciting contributions.
Meet Grayson: My name is Grayson Snead, and I am a junior at Vanderbilt University. I previously attended Furman University, where I played college softball. I am interested in the fields of virology and microbiology, and I will be doing research this upcoming semester on reo- and rotaviruses. This internship has taught me what to expect from post-graduate research. I had the privilege of navigating the day-to-day of applied research, from hands-on lab work to mundane reviews of literature. Through authoring a paper and an article, I partook in the extensive revision process associated with academic writings. Overall, this internship gave me valuable exposure to real-world research while imparting skills that I will continue to build upon.
Meet John: My name is John Roark, and I’m a rising senior at Virginia Tech studying Environmental Policy and Planning. I plan on finishing school in the spring and starting work in agricultural policy. Later in life, I plan on earning my Master’s in agriculture and eventually Law School, where after I will practice agricultural law. This summer, I worked with edible flowers, assessing cultural practices on six different cultivars to learn the most optimal growing conditions for quicker and fuller yield. Throughout this internship, I‘ve learned the importance of project plan management, and how horticulturalists are able to impact the large scale food production of agriculture.
