The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East Conference will host a graduate student poster competition during its 2nd annual edition, September 19-20, 2023, at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research (IALR) Conference Center in Danville, Virginia.

The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East Conference will host a graduate student poster competition during its 2nd annual edition, September 19-20, 2023, at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research (IALR) Conference Center in Danville, Virginia. Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con, the largest gathering of the vertical farming | CEA sector, and the Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center, a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center, CEA Summit East offers an ideal platform for aspiring graduate students to showcase their research in the field of CEA-related research.

By encouraging students to showcase their work through poster presentations, the competition seeks to foster collaboration opportunities between individuals in academia and private industry, while also connecting commercial companies with qualified candidates.

"We are proud to co-host the graduate student poster competition at the CEA Summit East Conference," said Brian Sullivan, CEO, Indoor Ag-Con. "This competition not only provides a great platform for students to share their research, but also enables commercial companies to discover talented individuals who can contribute to the future growth and innovation of the CEA sector."

The Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center is dedicated to advancing research and development in CEA. The center's Co-Director and IALR Vice President, Scott Lowman, Ph.D., adds, "The graduate student poster competition is one more way we're bridging the gap between academia and industry, promoting knowledge exchange, and opening doors to new collaboration in the CEA field."

Graduate students interested in participating in the competition are invited to learn more and submit abstracts detailing their research by August 1, 2023, via www.ceasummit.com/#poster-competition. A panel of experts will review the abstracts and select ten finalists to present their work through poster presentations at the conference. Selected candidates will receive a complimentary full access graduate student conference pass ($395 value) to attend the conference/competition. Judging will be held during the event and the winner will be announced at the day two keynote breakfast session on September 20, 2023.

Following its successful debut edition in October 2022, which brought together more than 200 attendees from 28 states, CEA Summit East 2023 will continue to foster connections and collaboration among growers, educators, scientists, extension specialists, suppliers, engineers, tech specialists, architect/developers and other industry members. Throughout the two-day event attendees will have the opportunity to explore the latest innovations from tabletop exhibitors, enjoy networking opportunities, and attend a full roster of keynote, panel presentations and research/industry showcases.

For more information about the graduate student poster competition and the September 19-20, 2023, edition of CEA Summit East, visit the conference website at www.ceasummit.com

ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON
Indoor Ag-Con is the premier global event series focused on the future of indoor farming. Since 2013, the trade show and conference, the industry's largest, has been at the forefront of the rapidly expanding vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture sector, providing a platform for industry leaders, innovators, and researchers to connect, share knowledge, and drive the industry forward. More information - www.indoor.ag

ABOUT THE VIRGINIA TECH-IALR CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE INNOVATION CENTER
The Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center is a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center. By developing strategic partnerships with both industry and academia, the goal of the Innovation Center is to conduct research and educational programming to develop, promote and advance the CEA sector in the U.S. and internationally. More information: www.ialr.org/cea