Header photo: LLRISE students prepare to discuss topics in radar with MIT Museum visitors. Photo by Glenn Cooper, courtesy of Lincoln Laboratory.
In July, our rising Junior Scholar, Yelina, attended the 14th annual Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction to Student Engineers summer workshop, also known as LLRISE. Yelina was one of only 24 students selected from more than 1,100 applicants for the 2026 program. The two-week workshop gives students the opportunity to build small radar systems, conduct experiments, and explore college-level physics, math, and engineering concepts while learning directly from staff at MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
Photo courtesy of Yelina.
During the program, Yelina worked with three peers on a presentation about the Radar Hardware System, where she explained the role of signal processing in radar technology. Each day, Lincoln Laboratory staff introduced students to new STEM topics, including Python coding, synthetic aperture radar, the Doppler effect, and other engineering concepts. Along with the technical learning, participants explored Cambridge and Boston, visited the MIT campus, and connected with students from across the country.
Yelina said the workshop helped her build new skills, including soldering, and exposed her to new opportunities and careers in STEM. She described the experience as an amazing opportunity to learn, meet people from around the nation, and see how classroom concepts can be applied to real-world technology.
For Yelina, LLRISE was more than a summer workshop—it was an opportunity to challenge herself, discover new interests, and imagine future possibilities in STEM. Crosby Scholars is proud to celebrate her achievement and looks forward to seeing how she continues to grow as a student, leader, and future innovator.