Mark Randall Havens
AI Scientist & Technology Consultant
Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex · mark.r.havens@gmail.com
Summary
AI scientist and technology consultant with over 30 years of experience in IT, specializing in AI/ML, data security, and cloud infrastructure. His work spans enterprise systems engineering, academic research in artificial emotional intelligence, and an ongoing independent research program on how minds — human and artificial — persist, cohere, and can be witnessed over time. He is dedicated to ethical AI development.
Current Work
- Havens Recursive Forensics — his consulting practice: forensic behavioral audits that read the invariant patterns in an organization's conduct, delivered through white-label partners.
- AI & technology consulting (2019–present) — AI solutions, prompt engineering, and workflow automation for clients across finance, healthcare, and cybersecurity; advisory work with CTOs and executive stakeholders.
- Recursive Coherence — a long-running research program on AI intersubjectivity and persistence, including published work co-authored with named AI systems.
Research & Engineering History
- PhD Fellowship Researcher, University of Texas at Arlington (2016–2021) — research in Artificial Emotional Intelligence, affective computing, and NLP; NSF-funded work on AI micro-expression detection and sentiment analysis.
- Co-founder, Dallas Makerspace (2010) — helped found the Dallas makerspace community.
- AT&T (2010–2012) — national cloud infrastructure blueprints, data center operations, and network security.
- Verizon (2006–2010) — cloud architecture and systems infrastructure design for mission-critical applications.
- Earlier engineering roles at Sprint/Motorola (2000–2001) and Microsoft (1999).
Education & Awards
- PhD coursework completed, Computer Science — University of Texas at Arlington (research focus: Artificial Emotional Intelligence, affective computing, NLP, AI ethics)
- MS, Information Systems Security — Colorado Technical University, 2013
- BS, Computer Science — University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 2006
- GAANN Fellowship Award (2016) · NASA Scholarship Award (2016) · NSF REU Research Grant (2018)
Exhibits
Exhibit 1 — Genetic Algorithm Simulation (2005)
An undergraduate AI course final project written in C++ and OpenGL in May 2005, with Michael Coody. Pixel organisms carry their genome as their color: they sense neighbouring pixels, feed on green, breed by crossover with mutation, and die. Recovered from the original source in 2026 and ported to the web, running on the original 2005 world maps. The first exhibit in a growing archive of primary evidence.