Sayan is a bright star at Duke. He shines in a very different way. He is caring, intelligent, laid-back and very approachable. I first met him with I came to Duke for my grad school interview. We quickly bonded since he worked with my prior mentor, Jill Mesirov on an important paper. After I came to Duke for my PhD program, Sayan has provided me with guidance on selecting a mentor and research project at Duke. Whenever you talk with Sayan, you feel like it’s a warm and open space where you can share anything you would like. I miss him very much.