Senior Sabrina Duim, a math major and talented musician, died on Saturday in her apartment in Palo Alto.

Duim, 22, hailed from Irvine, Calif. and graduated from St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in 2003.

According to Sergeant Sandra Brown of the Palo Alto Police Department, the death occurred sometime between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Jan. 13 at Duim’s off-campus apartment on Alma St. Close friend and roommate Ashley Brewer, a senior, found Duim in her apartment around 3 p.m. According to Brewer, the incident was a result of complications involving medications she was taking.

Though Brewer said that no one is quite sure what this means or what exactly happened, she did say that the death was accidental.

Friends overwhelmingly used the word “sassy” to describe Duim, an accomplished musician and student.

“Sabrina had a luminous personality and a really dry, sarcastic sense of humor,” said friend Kyle Williams, a 2004 graduate. “I think what people know about her is that she was a particularly loyal friend. She was really a good friend to a lot of people.”

Senior John Collins had been a close friend of Duim’s since freshman year, when both lived on West Campus.

“She had a sassy humor that transcended a lot of boundaries,” he said. “As for small and personal memories, we watched a lot of zombie movies and Dodgers games together, because those were two of small things she really loved to do.”

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Dean of Freshman-Sophomore College (FroSoCo) John Bravman served as Duim’s pre-major undergraduate advisor.

“Sabrina was more than talented; she was truly gifted,” Bravman recalled. “Her heart was set on a career in science and by the time of her tragic passing she had already engaged in several significant research projects. She was particularly interested in human immunology.”

Music was also a huge part of Duim’s life, as she was an accomplished harpist who toured with the indie rock band Bright Eyes in 2005. She can be heard in the 2005 album Digital Ash in the Digital Urn on tracks entitled “Hit the Switch,” “Devil in the Details” and “Theme from Pinata.” She also recorded with Rilo Kiley.

More recently, she played with Volunteer Pioneer, a folk-pop band formed in 2004. Based in San Francisco, the band featured Williams and Jason Byers in addition to Duim.

“The music she made, both orchestral and popular, was well crafted and nuanced and personal,” Collins said. “She imbued the music she made with a great deal of soul and personality. She left her own stamp on everything she did.”

FroSoCo Director Andy Dimock remembered Duim sharing her musical talents with her housemates during Cafe Night.

“I’d rarely seen a harpist perform, and never in such an intimate setting,” Dimock said. “It was magical.”

Bravman also remembered Sabrina’s musical gifts.

“She entranced students with her harp, many of whom had never encountered the instrument before,” he said.

According to Williams, Duim was deciding whether to pursue a career in music, become more involved in business, or dive into the sciences, where she could take advantage of her math degree and research experience.

In 2003, Duim told the magazine OC Family that she hoped to be a research scientist, perhaps even finding a cure for cancer.

In high school, she worked in a laboratory at UC Irvine, researching T-cell movements in lymph nodes. She also participated in the UC Irvine Symphony Orchestra and the cross-country team. In addition, Duim’s interests included fencing, dance, fashion and volunteer work.

Duim was highly regarded by students and faculty alike.

Math Prof. Greg Brumfiel, Sabrina’s major advisor, last saw her early autumn quarter, when they discussed finishing her math major requirements.

“She brought something quite unique,” said Brumfiel, citing her life as a musician. “I found her stories of life on the road very exotic. At the same time, Sabrina was such a sweet person, calm and rather quiet.”

Senior Tina Lin was Duim’s neighbor in FroSoCo during their sophomore year.

“She was definitely a great contribution to the Stanford community and we’ll miss her a lot,” she said.

Duim was the first person Lin met at FroSoCo; after Lin’s parents dropped her off, Duim and her family invited her to sit with them at lunch.

“She had that kind of personality where she just talked to people — she wasn’t afraid to talk to anybody,” Lin said.

Bravman said that he was “truly shocked and saddened beyond measure” upon hearing of Duim’s passing.

“Sabrina was liked by everyone, was kind, serene and humble,” he said. “All of us at Stanford were fortunate that she walked among us.”

Collins said he relished the chance to know her.

“She was, as a person, perhaps difficult to know, or difficult to understand perfectly, but to try was, for those close to her, to find a great deal of happiness.”