Max Liu · Ph.D.
→ Member of Technical Staff @ Anthropic
I work at the junction of power systems and AI infrastructure, designing the energy backbone of hyperscale computing: grid interconnects, battery storage, and the token-per-watt efficiency of AI data centers. Currently at Anthropic; previously 8 years at AWS.
// engineer · coach · frequent flyer
I'm a power engineer who ended up exactly where the industry was heading: the point where electricity becomes intelligence. I earned my Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, applying machine learning, optimization, and control theory to power grids, and gained early industry experience at two major utility companies along the way.
Over 8 years at AWS I rose to Principal Power Engineer, building and leading the cross-functional teams that model how data centers draw power at utility scale. That work shaped capacity planning, energy procurement, battery storage architectures, and sustainability engineering across a global fleet. In 2026 I joined Anthropic as a Member of Technical Staff, where I focus on power and resource efficiency for AI data centers: BESS, microgrids, and demand flexibility for next-generation AI infrastructure, maximizing tokens per watt.
// the why I believe in AI, and in Anthropic's mission to build AI that is helpful, honest, and harmless. After a career in power engineering, I want to help build the infrastructure that enables what may be the most transformative technology in human history. If I can make one lasting change in power engineering, let it be this.
Off the clock, I'm a PSA-rated figure skating coach and former professional performer with Disney On Ice. The Venn diagram of hyperscale power engineers and professional figure skaters is, as far as I can tell, just me. Same physics, colder lab. And yes, I've explored 90+ countries, many of them with skates in my luggage.
Jun 2026 – Present
2019 – 2026 · Global
Transmission and distribution, grid integration, and capacity expansion in power-constrained regions where every megawatt is negotiated.
Fleet-scale power modeling that connects IT compute demand to utility capacity: PUE, oversubscription, and load forecasting. Menu planning for very hungry buildings.
Battery storage architectures that unlock stranded capacity, enable islanding, and extend to primary and backup generation.
Taming the megawatt-scale swings of synchronized AI training: buffering GPU load transients with storage and control so the grid never feels the spike.
Distributed optimization, decentralized control, and machine learning that earns its keep: real-time dispatch, cooling optimization, and predictive performance at fleet scale.
Ph.D. dissertation · advised by Prof. Hao Zhu
Selected publications
Honors & awards
Education
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Power & energy systems, machine learning, optimization, cyber-physical control · IEEE, HKN, Tau Beta Pi
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Power & energy systems concentration · IEEE, PES, IAS
Missouri University of Science & Technology
GPA 4.0/4.0, summa cum laude · ranked 1st of 150 in the program
Before the doctorate, there was the ice. I spent six years (2004–2010) touring internationally as an ensemble skater with Disney On Ice and professional production companies, and I've kept one blade in the rink ever since.
As a PSA-rated, U.S. Figure Skating credentialed coach, I served as head figure skating instructor at the University of Illinois Ice Arena from 2014 to 2023, training a competitive team of twelve and presenting seminars at skating camps in the USA, Taiwan, and Japan. I've coached athletes at the national and international level, including U.S. champion and Olympic medalist Gracie Gold, and trained under master coaches Anita Hartshorn and Audrey Weisiger.
My specialty is where my two lives meet: video analysis and the physics of jumps (rotation, edge pressure, timing), plus on-ice pole-harness work to compress the learning curve. Turns out control theory applies at –4°C too.
PSA-rated · USFSA credentialed · national & international-level athletes
Six years of international tours with professional productions
Video analysis, biomechanics, and pole-harness training for faster progression
// on tour with disney on ice
06 · Say hello
AI infrastructure, energy systems, research collaborations, or the mechanics of a clean triple loop: my inbox doesn't discriminate. The fastest way to reach me is LinkedIn.
usually responds faster than a frequency regulation event