Bio

Seeking new graduate students:
For the following areas: Generative AI for Geoscience, Machine Learning, Deep learning, Coastal Marine Science; Geospatial AI (GIS)

Faculty fellow/member at:

    1) AI Hub for Science 

    2) Center for Geospatial Analytics

    3) Data Science and AI Academy

    4) MARINA– Marine Artificial Intelligence and Research Alliance

2026-present        Director of AI Hub for Science;

2026-2029            Fulbright Specialist Roster

2024- present       Director of International Affairs, College of Sciences

2024-2025            NC State Provost Faculty Fellow–Global Leadership …

2019- present       Professor

2009- 2019           Associate Professor

2003-2009.          Assistant Professor

Ph.D. 2001 (Geological Oceanography), Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of Williams & Mary (W&M), Williamsburg.

M.S. 1995 (Marine Quaternary Geology), Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

B.E., 1992 (Hydrology and Engineering Geology+Marine Geology), Ocean University of China.

Author: 1) How to Build and Fine‐Tune a Small Language Model:
Get the PDF/Epub;        Paper book on Amazon

2) Generative AI for Science:

 

View Research Publications

2020-2022 World Large River and Delta Systems Source-to-Sink Online Webinar Series

Area(s) of Expertise

AI and LLM Applications in the Geoscience;
(Fine tuning LLM, Agent and RAG building, Database Admin).

Large dataset processing and modeling;

Numerical Modeling for Sediment Transport

Flux and fate of river-derived sediment in the marginal sea. Riverine sediment dispersal, transport, and accumulation in different continental margin environments, in particular those delatic and clinoform deposits from the large rivers in Asia, e.g. Yellow, Yangtze, Pearl, Red, Mekong, Irrawaddy, and Salween, etc; see more ...

Nearshore and Offshore Seafloor Digital Mapping using high-resolution Subbottom Profiler (Chirp Sonar) and Swath Bathymetric Sonar System. see more ...

Seeking new graduate students
For the following areas: Generative AI for Geoscience, Machine Learning, Deep learning, Coastal Marine Science; Geospatial AI (GIS)

NEW GRANTS
1) Collaborative Research: CAIG: Multi-Architecture Physics-Informed Deep Learning for Understanding Coastal Hypoxia Formation Mechanisms
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
PI List: Liu, Paul (lead); He, Ruoying; Xu, Dongkuan
Project Period: 10/2026--9/2028
Gross Funding: $800,013

2) APEX Saudi Arabia: Bridging the Next Generation of U.S.-Saudi AI Innovators
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of State — Embassy Riyadh
PI List: Liu, Paul (lead); Cheng, Alice (Co-PI)
Project Period: October 2026–August 2028
Requested Funding: $250,000

3) AI Water Guardians: Empowering North Carolina Communities to Monitor and Predict Harmful Algal Blooms in Falls Lake Using Artificial Intelligence
Funding Agency: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
PI List: Liu, Paul (lead); Painter, Jason; Shelton, Taryn
Project Period: October 2026–September 2028
Gross Funding: $333,333

4) Responsible AI Literacy for GES: Building Shared Skills for Ethical and Effective AI Use
Funding Agency: Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Center
PI List: Cheng, Alice (lead); Liu, Paul; Peng, Xinxia
FY(s): 2026, 2027;Gross Funding: $15,000