Every research group remembers its first students, and Layatmika and Sandesh will always hold a special place in the history of the Crystal Mechanics Lab.

Joining a newly established research group comes with both opportunities and uncertainties. Both students took on that challenge with enthusiasm and helped lay the foundations of the lab's research activities. Over the course of their projects, they developed new computational skills, tackled complex scientific questions, and contributed to the growth of our modelling capabilities in both molecular dynamics and crystal plasticity.

It has been a pleasure to watch their confidence and independence grow as researchers. Their contributions extend beyond the technical results they produced; they helped shape the culture, spirit, and early identity of the group.

We congratulate them on their graduation and look forward to following their future achievements.