Paul Liu

Dr. Liu is a Professor in the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and serves as the College of Sciences’ first Director of International Affairs, a role he’s held since spring 2024. In this capacity, he’s spearheaded global engagement efforts—launching a unified web portal for international activities and fostering academic partnerships across Asia, Africa, and beyond.

His research focuses on the flux and fate of river‑derived sediments into the sea, with landmark publications on the Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong, Irrawaddy/Salween, and Pearl Rivers—exploring sediment dispersal, delta evolution, and coastal sea‑level impacts.

Since joining NC State in 2003, Paul has taught hundreds of students in MEAS and is highly regarded as a passionate, participatory, and caring educator—often praised for his deep knowledge and commitment in the classroom.

More recently, he has expanded into data science and AI education as an LLM Lecturer and Trainer at NC State’s Data Science and AI Academy. He co‑developed OceanAI and OceanGPT, innovative AI tools tailored to oceanographic modeling and analysis. He also founded Triangle AI, a local AI startup, and Autotrading, reflecting his entrepreneurial drive at the crossroads of data science and real‑time systems.