Jay White Bear

What kinds of national security problems does your work solve?

At the Laboratory, I work on applying machine learning and advanced analytics to real-time systems. Currently, that work focuses on radar and computer vision applications. For example, in one program, we are building a radar that focuses on see-through wall applications and allows us to detect people behind solid walls and learn information about whether they are in distress and need to be rescued. Our technology allows teams to have this ability in a small, portable format. Machine learning allows for rapid prototyping and development. We can develop machine learning algorithms that perform equivalently to or better than traditional signal processing in many cases and allow us to readily deploy these algorithms to teams.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

At heart, I am a craftsperson. I enjoy creating, designing, and implementing innovative takes on traditional research and bringing novel insights into those areas. I’ve worked in many areas, including computational biology, robotics, and cryptography, and it always brings me great joy to see something I have developed culminate in a way that expands the boundaries of what we know and how we look at a problem. I think seeing that kind of development and progress in my work are some of the most exciting career moments for me.

Do you participate in any employee resource groups (ERGs) or community initiatives at Lincoln Laboratory?

I do participate in ERGs at the Lab. I also volunteer with LLGIRL and some of the robotics outreach work. I try to expand outreach and representation for Indigenous communities as well. In my previous position at IBM, I founded a women’s ERG for the Bay Area. Currently, I am working on a video series highlighting diverse perspectives in STEM research, including familiar voices from the lab. The YouTube channel is Bridging the Gap and will be launching this month.

From day-to-day, where do you find inspiration or motivation?

I try to live in the moment and appreciate the small things, like good weather and good food. It’s nice to know that tomorrow always has the potential of being even better than today and that, maybe, I can be a part of helping realize that idea.