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Senior Ai Scientist And Engineer
Dr. Darnell is looking for work at the intersection of AI/Web3/Blockchain. He is a seasoned AI practitioner and became deeply steeped in the world of blockchain while living in the Sub-Saharan Tech Savanna of Nairobi, Kenya.
Dr. Darnell is the rare "triple threat":
- Researcher-level depth (Ph.D., 15+ publications, 5 patents)
- Engineer-level execution (ships production code, full-stack, multiple languages)
- Leader-level vision (directed programs, founded ventures, mentored teams)
He delivers:
- Speed - Can personally build complex systems without large teams
- Quality - Ph.D. rigor prevents technical debt and architecture mistakes
- Credibility - Publications and patents enhance company reputation
- Versatility - Can switch between deep coding, strategic planning, and stakeholder management
- Impact - Track record of innovations that become patents, products, and publications
Perfect for companies that need:
- Someone to own entire technical verticals from research → prototype → production
- A technical leader who can credibly engage government/enterprise buyers
- An innovator who generates defensible IP while shipping products
- A builder who thrives in ambiguous, high-stakes environments
The combination of elite credentials (Clemson Ph.D., IBM Research, 5 patents) with proven ability to execute in resource-constrained environments (L-3 defense, Kenya startups) makes him exceptionally valuable for organizations tackling hard technical problems in regulated or mission-critical domains.
Experience: 11 years
Yearly salary: $164,000
Hourly rate: $80
Nationality: 🇺🇸 United States
Residency: 🇺🇸 United States
Experience
Research Fellow
Bascom Palmer eye Institute, University of Miami Health System (UoM) 2025 - 2026
AI support for Ophthalmology research efforts. Use python research stack for neural network evaluation and benchmarking.
Contractor/Research Fellow
University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center (UTHSC) GGI 2022 - 2025
AI support for Panorama grant. Delivered AI expert system for GeneNetwork.org system genetics platform.
Research & Academic Director - AI/Data Science
@iLabAfrica Strathmore 2020 - 2022
Stand up Masters in Data Science program. Lecturing on Fundamentals of Computing and Advanced Machine Learning.
Research Scientist & Project Lead
IBM 2016 - 2018
Designed and implemented a real-time AI application to track dark-skinned children in a classroom under hardware and network resource constraints.
Post Doctoral Researcher
IBM 2015 - 2016
Worked with IBM’s top biometric and computer vision researcher on a computer vision project.
Research Assistant
HCC Lab 2011 - 2012
Developed a grammar using voice XML to enable vocal interaction for an online shopping app.
Research Assistant
Biometrics and Pattern Recognition (BPR) Lab 2009 - 2011
Research and improvement of 2.5D finger surface recognition using computational intelligence.
Software Engineer II
L3 Communications 2006 - 2009
Designed and implemented client-server enterprise software to control aircraft hardware.
Information Technology Lead and Manager
Auburn Student Athlete Support Services (SASS) 2004 - 2005
Chief architect for in-house student check-in software.
Research Assistant
Computational Intelligence (CI) Lab 2003 - 2005
Research the application and modification of computationally intelligent algorithms for solving real world optimization issues.
Skills
ai
architecture
blockchain
blockchain-engineer
c-plus-plus
docker
git
golang
hyperledger-fabric
java
javascript
machine-learning
matlab
nosql
postgres
python
pytorch
solidity
sql
english