Richard Watson

Richard Watson serves as Department Chair and Professor in the Department of Computer Science within the College of Arts & Sciences at Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS), where he has held this position since 2020 after 21 years on the faculty at Texas Tech University.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso (1999)
• MS in Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso (1994)
• BS in Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso (1990)

Dr. Watson's research centers on foundational logic-based artificial intelligence systems, with pioneering work in Answer Set Programming demonstrated through his dissertation-developed decision support system for space shuttle engine systems at Johnson Space Center. His expertise spans Non-Monotonic Reasoning, Action Languages, and Logic Programming Language Design, recently expanding into Cyber Security applications. During graduate studies, he served as a Visiting Engineer for United Space Alliance at NASA's Johnson Space Center, where his work established the first significant real-world implementation of Answer Set Programming for aerospace decision systems.

His academic career demonstrates consistent focus on translating theoretical logic programming frameworks into practical engineering solutions, particularly evident in his early aerospace contributions that bridged academic research and critical space mission operations.