Dr. Yifan Liu (1993-2023)

You possess great abilities, lively spirits, and open, affectionate manners. You have always been there to help and could always get problems solved. I really hope we could still work together. Rest in peace, Yifan. - Yutong

With her positive energy, happy smile, and brilliance, Yifan was highly cherished by all her colleagues and friends. Her sudden and tragic death left us deeply disturbed and empty. I cannot believe that she is no more. Our many meetings, discussions. Always cheerful. Always inspiring. I deeply miss you. - Martin

Yifan was always very warm, enthusiastic, and full of smiles since I met her for the first time. It deeply saddens me to hear of such a tragedy happening to her. She was such a nice person. I cannot forget the times we shared during lunches, barbecues, hikes, and cheerful discussions. These cherished memories will stay with me forever. RIP, Yifan. - Haofei

I will remember Yifan as an energetic and optimistic person. Always with a positive and kind approach, whatever we talked about, whether it was research, interested in helping out in any case, or anything else. It is so unbelievable that I still hope someone will tell us that it is just a big bad joke. Your memory will not fade away. - Luigi

I knew Yifan as a caring and supportive member of our group. I experienced her as a sincere and positive person, eager to help her students thrive and always cheering people up. I am deeply saddened by her sudden departure, leaving a void that cannot be repaired. - Tobias

I still fondly remember sitting in the office in the evening, staring at the robots, not at all doing what we wanted. While trying to make hardware work would typically be a tedious and frustrating experience, doing it together with Yifan resulted in it being a very fond memory. She had the ability to make otherwise stressful and frustrating times into something joyful. No matter the day, whenever she came to our meetings, she had this infectious, motivating attitude. Being able to inspire, encourage, and support people is something that everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with her appreciated. She was truly remarkable, not only academically but as a person. Yifan, I wish I could have told you what an amazing person you were. - René

I only worked with Yifan for a short time but it was clear to me that she was dedicated to her work, immensely knowledgeable and always willing to offer support when needed. I know she will be sorely missed by everyone at her lab. Her untimely passing came as a huge shock to me, and my thoughts are with her family at this difficult time. - Suyash

Yifan was one of the most supportive, caring, and positive person I have ever met. I'll never forget the time we were trying to meet the NeurIPS deadline. She was right there beside me, polishing every sentence and figure, making sure we got it just right. In my eyes, she wasn't just being an expert in her field but a genuinely caring teacher. Her leave is a profound loss, not just to those close to her but to the entire academic community. Yifan will be deeply missed, and the love and wisdom she shared will forever remain in my heart. - Siyuan

In my memories, Yifan was a conscientious supervisor and kindly-hearted friend, who was always there to encourage me when I feel down, help me when I got stuck, and share her experience with me. Yifan was absolutely a remarkable researcher and supervisor, and she always shows her enthusiasm for life and this lightened my lift a lot - she enjoys cooking, she is a cat lover, and her smile always cheers me. Yifan, I only wish I could have been there to share your stress and cheer you on whenever you need it. How I long for the chance to work with you once more and enjoys the joys of cooking and hiking together. R.I.P. Yifan, and deeply missed. - Yan

From the moment of our very first meeting, Yifan’s radiant smile and infectious enthusiasm left an indelible impression on me. Throughout the months we worked together, Yifan was a source of inspiration to me and to all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her thoroughness, dedication, and genuine passion for research were truly remarkable. It quickly became evident that she spared no effort in ensuring our success. There was so much to learn from her. Yifan, we miss you. Your contagious smile and the lessons you taught us will forever reside in my heart. - Mattia

I never had a chance to work with Yifan, but she always cheered us up and enlightened the atmosphere during lunch and free time. She also cared about us and was willing to provide helpful advice although we were not supervised by her. I will always remember the good time we had at the last group BBQ and the smile in the pictures. R.I.P. Yifan. - Roy