Yang Dai ’08

Yang died Jan. 1, 2021, with her husband, Dustin Mennella, at her side. Born Jan. 16, 1987, in Jilin Province, China, Yang grew up in Little Rock, Ark., after moving to the United States when she was 5.

Always a brilliant student, Yang came to Princeton after only three years of high school, majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering. She was also a member of the Ballroom Dance team and Quadrangle Club.

After graduation Yang worked as a flight test engineer for the Boeing Co. in Seattle, then joined Facebook Reality Labs, working on AR/VR products as a mechanical engineer.

In Seattle Yang met the love of her life, Dustin, whom she once described as “too perfect to be real.” Yang and Dustin were married in 2018, and the two found great happiness in each other’s company.

Yang will be remembered as brilliant, generous, and loyal, and for her quick, dry wit. To her friends and family, she served as an inspiration for perseverance, pursuit of growth, and for her dedication to charitable causes and racial, socioeconomic, and environmental justice.

Yang is survived by her husband, Dustin Mennella; and her parents, Zhao Yang and Gonghe Dai.