The Chinese Scholars and Students Association at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus (UIUC) plans to hold a vigil on June 9 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Zhang Yingying, a visiting scholar from China.

The memorial event will recall the life of the young scholar, who went missing after taking a ride with Brendt Christensen, a 28-year-old former Ph.D. of UIUC, who was later charged by local police for the kidnapping of Zhang.

"We expect the event will not only serve as an opportunity to commemorate Zhang and convey our support to her family, but also highlight that Zhang will be remembered forever," said Jing Jiheng, chairman of the association.

The event, consisting of short speeches and a video produced by Zhang's friends in memory of the missing scholar, will begin at 2 p.m. local time and last for about one hour. In addition, a special vigil webpage will be launched.

Some overseas students also proposed that a perennial memorial park in Zhang's name should be built near the bus station at Clark St. and Goodwin Ave., where Zhang was last spotted before her disappearance.

"We are doing the best we can do for the sake of Zhang's family," Jing said. "We'll let them know we still care about her."

Zhang went missing in Illinois on her way to a new apartment to sign a contract. Instead of getting on the bus as planned, she got into Christensen's car and lost contact soon after.

The police arrested Christensen on June 30, last year, with evidence that he had searched for information online about how to kidnap someone before taking Zhang. The suspect also confessed to taking an Asian woman in his car.

In July 2017, the local prosecutor charged Christensen with kidnapping and murder, which, if found guilty, will bring a sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty.

However, while the courts have denied bail as Christensen awaits trial, his next appearance in court has been postponed until April 2019, a delay that has drawn immense frustration from Zhang's father.

"Why should justice to a brutal criminal be delayed?" he questioned. The family plans to travel to the United States to witness the trial.

During their last trip to the U.S. after Zhang's disappearance, the young woman's parents implored Christensen to disclose where she was, with the hope that they could eventually bring their daughter home.

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