Design chosen for permanent Feb. 13 memorial 

Michigan State University has a design for the permanent Feb. 13 memorial, selecting the proposal from Jessica Guinto and Carlos Portillo, which includes a memorial fountain, benches and surrounding plantings in the Old Horticultural Garden near the Student Services Building.

Today, during a special Board of Trustees meeting, the board authorized the university to proceed in the coming months with plans to construct the permanent memorial.

The memorial will serve as a central location for families, loved ones, students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to visit and reflect, grieve and honor those lost, injured and impacted by the violence that occurred Feb. 13, 2023.

The final decision was made by President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., after carefully reviewing recommendations from the Feb. 13 Permanent Memorial Planning Committee as well as feedback from the broader MSU community.

“The violence our campus endured on the evening of Feb. 13, 2023, has impacted each of us in deeply personal ways,” Guskiewicz said. “This permanent memorial offers a place for reflection, healing and remembrance — a space where our community can honor the lives lost and those who were injured and affected.”

The memorial’s design incorporates elements such as water, white marble, split-faced black granite and seasonal plantings.

“We wanted to honor the victims and those affected by the tragedy, while also promoting healing and unity on campus,” said designers Jessica Guinto and Carlos Portillo. “We hope our design provides a place of reverence and peace, a welcoming yet intimate gathering space for the MSU community.”

The Feb. 13 Permanent Memorial Planning Committee — established in October 2023 and made up of students, faculty, staff and community liaisons — has been meeting regularly to guide the process of establishing a memorial in honor and remembrance of those we lost and those affected by the tragedy.

Following conversations with directly impacted groups and after engaging the campus community in early 2024 to identify the most important purposes of the memorial as well as potential modes of interaction and location, an RFP was distributed to artists and organizations across the country to design, build and install a permanent memorial. The committee then selected three finalists based on that input and solicited feedback on those proposals via a community survey.

“From the earliest stages of this project — including input from those most directly impacted — through the final design selection, the MSU and surrounding communities played a vital role in shaping the memorial,” said Judith Stoddart, vice provost for University Arts and Collections. “Nearly 5,000 individuals contributed through surveys and focus groups, reflecting a collective commitment to honoring those we lost, supporting those affected and creating a lasting space for remembrance and reflection.”

More information on the design and artists, including images and a video presentation, as well as the memorial planning process are available on the Spartans Together website.

Also, during today’s special meeting, the Board of Trustees approved several personnel actions ahead of the start of the fall semester, including the appointment of James Hintz as vice president for Student Affairs, effective Aug. 4.

The next regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting will be held Oct. 31.