Brown president charges committee to plan for memorializing lives of two students lost on Dec. 13

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - Brown University President Christina H. Paxson has charged a committee of faculty, staff and students to make recommendations for a permanent campus memorial honoring the lives of Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, two Brown undergraduates whose lives were lost in the mass shooting on the University's campus on Dec. 13, 2025.

The Committee on the December 13 Memorial will facilitate community discussion and solicit input from students, faculty, staff and alumni to explore questions of tone, look, feel and design elements, Paxson wrote in a Tuesday, April 14, message to the Brown community. They will also consult with the families of Cook and Umurzokov to understand what would be meaningful and appropriate to them, and identify potential locations on campus where a physical memorial would have high visibility and symbolic resonance.

"Creating a physical memorial on campus will be an important part of our community's journey of recovery and repair, which continues to be supported by the campus-wide Brown Ever True effort," Paxson wrote. "An essential part of the committee's work will be to engage the campus and alumni communities in conceiving a vision for a memorial that pays homage to Ella and Mukhammad, and serves as an enduring tribute to the values they embodied as members of the Brown community."

Paxson will ask the committee to share its recommendations in a report by the end of Brown's Fall 2026 semester. The report will include a proposed formal call for artists/designers that includes goals, objectives and guiding principles for the development of a memorial consistent with the committee's recommendations, and the group will also make recommendations for ongoing curricula or programming tied to the memorial.

Paxson also provided an update on plans for renovating the set of classrooms that have been closed this semester in Barus & Holley, the building where the shooting took place. She shared the goal of reopening spaces sometime in the coming year.

The president's full letter is published on the Brown.edu website and included below.

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Committee on the December 13 Memorial

Dear Brown Community,

In the months since Brown lost two of our students to a senseless act of violence, our community has mourned deeply while also coming together in recovery, healing and hope. As we continue to move forward together, we hold the memories of Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov close to our hearts. I am writing to outline the steps we will take to permanently memorialize Ella and Mukhammad and ensure they are remembered, always.

I have charged a Committee on the December 13 Memorial with developing formal recommendations for a permanent campus memorial honoring the lives of Ella and Mukhammad. Creating a physical memorial on campus will be an important part of our community's journey of recovery and repair, which continues to be supported by the campus-wide Brown Ever True effort.

An essential part of the committee's work will be to engage the campus and alumni communities in conceiving a vision for a memorial that pays homage to Ella and Mukhammad, and serves as an enduring tribute to the values they embodied as members of the Brown community.

As stated in the charge, the committee will:

• Facilitate community discussion and solicit input from students, faculty, staff and alumni to explore questions of tone, look, feel and design elements.
• Consult with the families of Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov to understand what would be meaningful and appropriate to them.
• Identify potential locations on campus where a physical memorial would have high visibility and symbolic resonance.

I will ask the committee to complete its work and share its recommendations with me in a report by the end of the fall semester of the 2026-27 academic year. That report should include a proposed formal Call for Artists/Designers that includes goals, objectives and guiding principles for the development of a memorial consistent with the committee's recommendations. The committee also will make recommendations for ongoing curricula or programming tied to the memorial.

This physical memorial will be part of Brown's broader efforts to recognize the lasting impact of the December 13 attack, and to acknowledge the contributions of those who supported our community through this difficult time. Last month we wrapped up the "Brown ❤️ Providence" campaign, which focused campus-wide efforts to express our deepest gratitude and give back to the people of Providence for their support in the aftermath of the tragedy, including first responders, elected officials, business owners, community partners and neighbors who continue to support us in ways both big and small. This followed the campus-wide memorial service in early February that honored the lives of Ella and Mukhammad and gave our community members on campus and around the world an opportunity to be in community with one another and to grieve. We announced last week ongoing efforts to recognize the contributions of Brown staff members.

In May, I will host a private reception at my home for the many health care workers and public safety officials across the state who responded with incredible courage, dedication and care after the shooting. And on August 1, Brown will sponsor a WaterFire full lighting in recognition of all of the first responders and community partners who supported our community in response to the tragedy. Beyond these efforts, there will be many other opportunities for reflection and community in the months ahead. In addition to ongoing programming through Brown Ever True, the work of the Committee on the December 13 Memorial will contribute curricular and other efforts to our ongoing reflection on the lasting impacts of December 13 for our full community.

Informed by the report from the committee, I will make a recommendation to the Corporation of Brown University through the Committee on Facilities and Campus Planning and its Subcommittee on Public Art (as well as any other designated Corporation committees) related to the siting of the permanent memorial and any other aspects of the memorial the Corporation is charged with reviewing and approving.

The Committee on the December 13 Memorial co-chairs will be University Architect Craig Barton and Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Matthew Guterl, who is leading the Brown Ever True Operational Team. The committee will include faculty, staff and students who will be nominated by campus governance organizations including the Faculty Executive Committee, the Medical Faculty Executive Committee, the Staff Advisory Council, the Undergraduate Council of Students, the Graduate Student Council and the Medical Student Senate. The committee co-chairs will be in touch with campus governance organizations in the coming weeks about the nomination process, and the committee's membership will be shared with the community after it is finalized.

While this important work is getting underway, we also are developing plans for renovating the Barus & Holley classrooms that have been closed this semester, with the goal of reopening spaces sometime in the coming year. We will approach this work with a high level of sensitivity and care, and in consultation with the departments that are most directly affected by the current closure of these spaces. Because these plans are still tentative, courses for the 2026-27 academic year are being scheduled under the assumption that these spaces will not be available for teaching. The campus will receive more information and details as they become available.

I remain deeply committed to the healing we continue together as a community and to ensuring that students, faculty and staff have the resources and support needed to move forward. I look forward to hearing the thoughtful and meaningful ideas for memorialization that will flow from the committee process as we continue to remember Ella's and Mukhammad's lasting impact while caring for our community as a whole.

Sincerely,

Christina H. Paxson
President