Sarah Curry

Since I've been at the Laboratory, the flexibility and latitude to focus my work has kept me engaged and provided opportunities for ongoing growth.

When did you join the Laboratory?

I joined the Laboratory in 2011 as a subcontractor. I had worked in industry and at a startup and was looking for a new challenge. I found the scope and applied nature of the work here really engaging.

What does your job entail and what project have you enjoyed working on the most?

I work in a group that builds one-off, highly instrumented sensors to support field testing and data collection. We use these systems and the data we collect from them to answer questions for our government sponsor.

One of my favorite projects was the development and testing of a low-cost, low-SWAP (size weight and power) Digital Radio-Frequency Memory jammer. We had a team of 3.5 people working on this, and the timing of the program deliverables meant that we needed to integrate and iterate very tightly to complete our goals on schedule. The size and cost constraints added a new level of challenge and led to complex design trade-offs that don't need to be made in a larger or pricier program. With the right team, it’s fun and exciting — exactly the kind of opportunity that I love.

What are some future goals for your work?

When my current program concludes, I expect to be leading the integration of an airborne sensor with a third-party ground system. We expect this to be about a three-year effort, and will require close collaboration with two external partners. I’m looking forward to this technically, as it will expand my domain knowledge on ground systems to include more relevant airborne aspects. The program will also build on our existing organizational relationships.