David, We first crossed paths while postdocs at NYU, and since then I've had the privilege not only of watching your scientific career blossom, but also to co-advise students with you and Gregor. I witnessed how you shared with the students not only your wisdom and guidance, but natural warmth and encouragement. In particular, you exhorted them to upraise their vision to the broader scientific questions, which were always prominent in our conversations. I believe you extended to me a greater degree of most generous hospitality, both in New York City and Shanghai, then any other collaborator, and several of these shared experiences have been singularly memorable. I believe the last time I was able to visit you, we gathered with Gregor and our students at a chinatown restaurant where we shared a "Happy Family" dish that was a particularly memorable delight. In retrospect, it's an excellent symbol for how I remember the spirit of you and your research group -- a seamless blend of research, fellowship, and deep conversations on varied topics -- and I cherish the opportunity to have partaken in it via our collaborations.
"O Lord, glorify his station, shelter him under the pavilion of Thy supreme mercy, cause him to enter Thy glorious paradise, and perpetuate his existence in The exalted rose garden, that he may plunge into the sea of light in the world of mysteries..." ('Abdu'l-Baha')