The CMB committee that reviewed the nominated theses provided the following thoughts about Diya and her research. “During the course of her studies on prostate development and regeneration in Dr. Chad Vezina’s lab, she discovered that mesodermal Wolffian duct cells were able to regenerate bladder epithelium. This was a surprising source of stem cells with important implications for regenerative medicine. She also wrote review articles for the field of prostate development, and published several more research papers on the impact of folate on prostate homeostasis and the role of DNA methylation in the determination of prostate cell fate. Her mentors and committee members described her as an accomplished, passionate, productive and resilient young scientist, exceptional in all the areas of work and character that are required for graduate studies. She was “the architect of her own success story”. We wish her well in her studies at University Texas-Southwestern.