Amy Watson

In 2004, when she was finishing her master's degree at Washington University in St. Louis, Amy imagined she'd seek a traditional computer science career in the software industry or academic research. But a recruiter suggested she explore a job at Lincoln Laboratory, which had many varied projects that needed software developers. Intrigued by the chance to work in fields very new to her and impressed by the Laboratory's impact on national security, Amy applied and is glad she did. She greatly enjoys the different projects for which she writes software that enables the integration of sensors and other hardware components into larger, more complex systems. She's implemented signal processing algorithms for a radar prototype, helped design displays to aid radar operators, and written code to control a suite of software-defined radios. From writing low-level hardware interfaces to designing data network architectures or developing analysis tools, Amy finds each system has its own set of interesting challenges.

While Amy is a quick learner who is unafraid to tackle something she's never done before, she credits fellow staff members with helping her transition into once unfamiliar technology fields, like radar and RF technology. "I'm grateful to collaborate with smart, curious, and generous people who willingly share their expertise as we work together to achieve a project's goals," Amy says.