May 2026 Inside the Institute Newsletter
A Message from Rob McCarley
Executive Director, The Fralin Life Sciences Institute
a transitional, in-between state or phase of being on a "threshold" between two stages, places, or conditions
Transitions, no matter how positive we may envision the results, often lead to us reminiscing about our important achievements “in days of old” while also wondering and worrying about excelling in our next endeavors.
This “betwixt and between” or liminal state is highly valuable due to the intense periods of discernment invested in planning our next project or career step. The resulting liminality enables creative thought to shine through uncertainty, yielding new pathways and establishing customs crucial to attaining future successes and navigating shortcomings.
Whether it is that uncomfortable time between commencement exercises and a new job or professional school, the transitionary period of an upcoming change in leadership of a Fralin Life Sciences Institute center, or the queasy timeline between completing a proposal development workshop and submitting the resulting creation to a federal agency, these liminal times and spaces so key to our development as humans and researchers are very real and not those imaginary “stinky and noisy backrooms” of the Internet.
While many wish some current events were imaginary or could be “noclipped” into nothingness, it is truly invigorating to see Institute investigators winning on the research and education playing field by bravely facing myriad realities, embracing new directions, and fueling their endeavors with their past successes, amazing creativity, and unstoppable initiative!
The Institute is fortunate to be able to help culture and catalyze those transdisciplinary research and educational activities by collaborating with a broad spectrum of folks across the entirety of the Virginia Tech Innovation Network. It is our honor to communicate a sampling of those activities, partnerships, and successes as exemplars of the incredible capabilities and accomplishments of the Institute community!
Some of those include:
- Celebrating the Class of 2026, with some folks using their liminality to change career paths;
- Using the Ut Prosim spirit to integrate investigator research into outreach activities at a local children’s museum;
- Update on leadership of the Translational Plant Sciences Center due to a prestigious, internationally impactful fellowship award;
- Global recognition of the protein-polymer research prowess of a faculty affiliate through the Talented Twelve program of a professional society;
- New initiative to increase the number of NIH RO1 submissions from Virginia Tech via the Extramural Funding Accelerator Program (EFAP) made possible by a partnership between the Institute and the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI), which resulted from an FLSI-ORI collaboration to create an NIH RO1 proposal development workshop program.
Your immeasurable commitment to eminence on the research and educational frontiers is what helps move forward our mission of improving the human condition. Your ingenuity and perseverance allow us to pursue the Institute’s vision — a diverse ecosystem supported by partnerships aimed at synergistic achievements at the interfaces of the life and molecular sciences.
We are fortunate these are made possible by the currency of our collaborations with the ORI, other investment institutes, colleges and schools, and the Office of the Provost, while recognizing their scope can be broadened and made more capable through building relationships with Commonwealth agencies, economic development groups, and universities across the State.
So, sit back and enjoy the stories in this edition of the newsletter. I invite you to revisit the January newsletter and think about what is possible in the coming months through your ideas, plans, and efforts as we work together to attain Global Distinction via our Foresee (4C) Strategic Framework.
Celebrating Class of 2026
A huge congratulations to the entire Class of 2026. A special shout-out to these graduates representing the Institute's centers and groups (top, from left):
- Gabrielle Ripa, earned Ph.D. in plant pathology, physiology, and weed science; Invasive Species Collaborative
- Lily Lefave, earned a master's in plant pathology, physiology, & weed science; Translational Plant Sciences Center
- Olivia Andrews, earned Ph.D. in entomology; Invasive Species Collaborative
- Marcel Shams-Eddin, earned Ph.D. in biological sciences; Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens
- Sarah Juster, earned Ph.D. in forest resources and environmental conservation; Global Change Center
- Lauren Tucker, earned a master's in public health; Center for Communicating Science and the National Science Foundation COMPASS Center
