Sosa
Santiago Sosa is no stranger to high-speed thinking. As a junior in Drexel’s
accelerated BS/MS program in electrical and computer engineering, he thrives
on the fast pace and constant innovation of his current co-op at Lockheed
Martin’s Advanced Technology Labs (ATL)—a place where cutting-edge research
is just part of the daily routine.
Working as a technical specialist and research engineer, Sosa splits his
time between writing software for MIMO radar systems and physically
assembling those same systems in the lab. Some days, he’s outdoors testing
antennas and communications hardware; others, he’s deep in code or building
devices from scratch. “It’s very versatile,” he says. “It keeps my mind at a
high RPM.”
Sosa’s work at ATL integrates his classroom learning with real-world
application—often pushing beyond it. “This really blends all my coursework,”
he explains. “Physics, math, engineering theory, and coding—my co-op takes
what we learn and turns it into the technology that will be taught in
classrooms 10 or 20 years from now.”
That forward-looking mindset is part of what drew him to ATL in the first
place. “As someone whose goal is to pursue a PhD and a career in academia, I
wanted to see what research and development looks like in industry,” he
says. “It can be chaotic—but that adds a sense of surprise. And working with
other Lockheed Martin business areas, like Space or RMS, adds so much to the
learning experience.”
The co-op has also deepened his understanding of project development and
problem solving, especially within the constraints of real-world research.
“You have to understand how to achieve an objective without overengineering
or underperforming,” Sosa says. “That means designing solutions that
actually solve the problem—without creating new ones in the process.”
Already pursuing a master’s degree in electrical engineering, Sosa plans to
continue on to a PhD in optics, working with Drexel faculty member Dr. Adam
Fontecchio. The co-op experience has helped cement that goal. “It’s
solidified that research is what I want to do. ATL has shown me what
high-performance, high-quality research looks like, and I’d like to one day
run my own lab and operate at that same level.”
It’s also deepened his appreciation for the long-standing collaboration
between Drexel and ATL—one that continues through students like Sosa and his
co-op colleagues. “ATL has a history with Drexel,” he says. “It’s exciting
to be a part of that.”