At Harvard, Mildbrandt was working on a thesis about self-sus-taining fish ponds in the Czech Republic, Weston said.

People in the Czech Republic had been feeding themselves out of the fish ponds for over 600 years, Mildbrandt's mother said.

He was continuing to work on the project despite his intended graduation on June 6, Weston said, and had given several speeches on the topic in Cambridge. He hoped to receive a Fulbright scholarship, she added.

Weston said she expects Mildbrandt's thesis to be published posthumously "It was a lot bigger than just school," she said.

Mildbrandt, the youngest of five children, was very close to his family and popular with his peers, Weston said.

"He was really fun, active, positive and upbeat," Weston said. "Everybody loved Marty."

Mildbrandt-Wyatt said her son had enjoyed his time at Harvard, holding down several jobs while excelling in his studies.

"He was doing it on a shoestring, but he did it so well," she said. "He applied himself so beautifully."

"I am very proud of him," she said.

Mildbrandt was a very spiritual person, his roommates said.

"He just felt connected to humanity," Sullivan said.

"He believed that nothing in this life happened accidentally," Weston said. "He would always say, 'serendipity.' It was his favorite word."

Anne Taku, Mildbrandt's sister, said her brother was a "very free spirit."

"Marty enjoyed life absolutely to its fullest," she said. "Every time he'd come home he would just go outside and strip off his T-shirt and bask in the sunshine, looking up at the blue sky and taking in every ray."

Taku said the family has already been contacted by friends in the Czech Republic and students at Harvard whom they have never met.

"Marty touched many, many people around the world," she said.

A memorial service is being planned for next Monday in Memorial Church, Weston said