Students received a letter notifying them of the death on Thursday from Dean Joseph B. Martin. That evening, they received an e-mail from HMS Student Affairs Coordinator Carla Fujimoto urging them to take advantage of counseling opportunities.

Students congregated at the Holmes Academic Society Thursday night to discuss their grief with each other and with University counselors.

"I'm still doing a lot of work... trying to get [students] out of the state of shock," said Dr. Daniel A. Goodenough, an HMS professor who said he knew Chavez well.

Students and faculty also attended a closed-door meeting Friday morning that Gibbons described as "emotional, but helpful."

University staff trained to deal with tragedies were available all weekend and will continue to counsel those struggling with Chavez's death.

"We are trying to come together as a community and have a community response," said a somber Reen Carter, an HMS resident fellow.

A date for a memorial service has not been set.

"She was a fantastic human being and a wonderful student," Goodenough said. "It's just unbelievably tragic."