A campus group composed of former colleagues, students and friends of the late Professor Andrzej Olbrot has formed an Olbrot Commemorative Committee to raise money for a memorial sculpture in his honor.

A professor and researcher in the College of Engineering peering, Dr. Olbrot was slain by a former Ph.D. student in engineering who was convicted and sent to prison for life last October.

The committee seeks to raise $50,000 for a sculpture to be unveiled next December - the second anniversary of Olbrot's death - in the engineering courtyard under the shade of three maple trees.

The nine-member group wants to reach its goal by April 1, which will allow enough time to review proposals, commission and complete the work by next December. They began seeking contributions in December and have raised $10,000 to date.

"The sculpture and surroundings will evoke the accomplishments and personal characteristics of Andrzej, serving as both a memorial and an inspiration for generations of students to follow," said colleague James Woodyard, a professor in the electrical and computer engineering department.

Contributions by check should be made out to the WSU Olbrot Commemorative Fund and sent to the Wayne State Fund Office, P.O. Box 4602, Detroit, MI 48232-9743.

Most of the contributions have been small, Woodyard said - $5, $10, $15.

"We want those who knew him to remember," Woodyard said. "We want those who did not to learn of his special contributions, and the way he touched others."