The College of Engineering, along with professors from severalother disciplines, has proposed that a memorial garden be built oncampus to honor three engineering professors who were shot and killedby a graduate student on Aug. 15, 1996.

The garden would be dedicated to slain SDSU professors Chen Liang,Preston Lowery III and Constantinos Lyrintzis. They were killed bygraduate student Frederick Davidson when he was defending hismaster’s thesis.

The proposed location is at the end of the engineering labbuilding across from the Chemistry-Geology Building.

“The proposed memorial garden is designed as a celebration oftheir lives and not as a symbol of closure to this horrific tragedy,”said Robert Mansfield, SDSU professor of art design.

In November 1998, Mansfield, faculty from the College ofEngineering and other university officials met to begin plans for thememorial and establish the most appropriate place for it. Thelocation was chosen because of its proximity to the College ofEngineering.

“Our students do a lot of studying there,” said Greg Bailey, SDSUassociate professor of electrical engineering. “It’s an ideal placefor the garden.”

SDSU art students Shaun Menestrina, Eric Manlucuto, Paul Castenadaand Elizabeth Price constructed a model for the garden underMansfield’s supervision.

“I learned a lot while working on the project, likecommunication,” said Menestrina, an SDSU graphic design senior. “WhenI heard about the project, my eyes lit up because it wasn’t aevery-day project.”

The garden is supposed to have three round tables and benches.

“The sculpture proposal is called the Circle of Life because it ismeant to reflect the incomplete circle of each of the individualslives,” Mansfield said.

Each of the tabletops will be inscribed with a favorite quotation,saying or a formula of each of the slain professors. Their familieswill choose the inscription, Mansfield said.

The garden will have trees, shrubs and flowers native to Greece,China and Massachusetts — the areas the professors came from.

The garden is designed to be interactive, where students canparticipate physically, and won’t be just a place to look at, Baileysaid. He said the garden would be a place where students can enjoythe outdoor sunshine and use it has a studying area.

The proposal will go to the Campus Development Committee thatapproves all physical changes on campus like trees, signs andwalkways. A decision should be made by the end of the year.

The model of the garden is displayed on the first floor of LoveLibrary.