Teachers of top CU students to be honored on campus, May 21-22

Cornell will honor 35 secondary school teachers from as near as Ithaca and Elmira and from as far away as Anchorage, Alaska, and Singapore, May 21 and 22, on campus. They will be brought to Ithaca and recognized for their inspirational teaching with a $4,000 scholarship in their names for future Cornell students with financial need from their schools or regions.

The teachers were selected by Cornell's Merrill Presidential Scholars, students who represent the top 1 percent of the university's graduating seniors. Merrill scholars are chosen by deans of each of the seven undergraduate colleges at Cornell for outstanding scholastic achievement, strong leadership ability and potential for contributing to society.

The Merrill Presidential Scholars Program is made possible by funding from Philip Merrill, Cornell Class of 1955. In addition to selecting a secondary school teacher who most inspired his or her scholastic development, each Merrill Scholar selects a Cornell faculty member who most significantly contributed to his or her college education and experience.

The STAR (Special Teachers Are Recognized) Scholarship Program, which sponsors the teachers' awards, was established at Cornell "to recognize the singular influence of inspired teaching and the enduring bonds that are often forged between the teachers and those they have taught." The program began in 1989 with support from the late Donald Berens and his wife, Margi Berens, both members of the Cornell Class of 1947, and is supported through additional gifts from alumni and friends.

The Merrill scholars, secondary school teachers and Cornell faculty members will be recognized at a luncheon May 22 at noon in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall on campus, hosted by Cornell President Hunter Rawlings.

The secondary school teachers come to Cornell as guests of the university to participate in two days of events, which include a panel presentation and discussion, a dinner and a reception, campus tours and the luncheon.

The 2002 Merrill Scholars, their hometowns and colleges are listed below, followed by the names of the secondary school teachers and the Cornell faculty members the students selected for recognition:

• Melissa Sue Bowlin of Palmer, Ark., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Debra Thomas, Palmer High School, Palmer, Ark.; David W. Winkler, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

• Anna Whitson Herforth of Big Flats, N.Y., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Michael A. Walsh, Horseheads High School, Horseheads, N.Y.; Eloy Rodriguez, James A. Perkins Professor of Plant Biology.

• Christopher Thomas Hood of Port Matilda, Pa., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Mary Knight, State College Area High School, State College, Pa.; Paul W. Sherman, professor of neurobiology and behavior.

• Nicole Diane Mariani of East Lyme, Conn., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Hayley Zinn Rowthorn, East Lyme High School, East Lyme, Conn.; Dale Grossman, senior lecturer in applied economics and management and communication.

• James R. McNeil of Cobleskill, N.Y., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Richard H. Payne, Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School, Cobleskill, N.Y.; Ann E. Hajek, associate professor of entomology.

• Jessica L. Oberman of Roslyn, N.Y., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Allyson J. Weseley, Roslyn High School, Roslyn, N.Y.; Sam Beck, senior lecturer, Human Ecology Urban Semester Program.

• Wirulda Pootakham of Chiang Mai, Thailand, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Moldhop Chaiyachit, Satit Demonstration School, Chiang Mai, Thailand; Susan R. McCouch, associate professor of plant breeding.

• Stephanie H. Shum of San Francisco, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Kenneth Hogarty, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco; Dale Grossman, senior lecturer in applied economics and management and communication.

• Kristin Kathleen Vyhnal of Los Gatos, Calif., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Robert Wofford, Winston Churchill Middle School, Carmichael, Calif.; W. Bruce Currie, professor of animal science.

• Joanna Martin Canter of New York City, College of Architecture, Art and Planning; Constance G. Loescher, The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Conn.; Kenneth M. Reardon, associate professor of city and regional planning.

• Bryan A. Libit of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., College of Architecture, Art and Planning; Sandra Grasinger, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.; George Hascup, professor of architecture.

• Maura F. Rockcastle of Minneapolis, Minn., College of Architecture, Art and Planning; Cecily Spano, Southwest High School, Minneapolis, Minn.; Elisabeth Meyer, associate professor of fine arts.

• Michael Seth Benn of Cherry Hill, N.J., College of Arts and Sciences; Robert D. Nation, Cherry Hill High School East, Cherry Hill, N.J.; Rebecca Schneider, assistant professor of theatre, film and dance.

• Mayely Laura Boyce of Pottstown, Pa., College of Arts and Sciences; George Blake, St. James School, St. James, Md.; Kathleen E. Whitlock, assistant professor of developmental biology.

• Rose L. Carlson of Honolulu, College of Arts and Sciences; Dean Hurd, Punahou School, Honolulu; Amy R. McCune, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

• Linda S. Ely of Iowa City, Iowa, College of Arts and Sciences; Tas Anthony, West High School, Iowa City, Iowa; John B. Whitman, associate professor of linguistics.

• Han Pin Goh of Singapore, Republic of Singapore, College of Arts and Sciences; Woon Ching Tan, Raffles Junior College, Singapore; Robert E. Thorne, professor of physics.

• Justin Block Kinney of Pittsburgh, College of Arts and Sciences; Elizabeth Roseborough, Taylor Allderdice High School, Pittsburgh; Eanna E. Flanagan, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.

• Jennifer Cathleen Kohler of Montclair, N.J., College of Arts and Sciences; Gary Odolecki, Montclair High School, Montclair, N.J.; Szonja Szelenyi, associate professor of sociology.

• Jonathan Lewinsohn of Livingston, N.J., College of Arts and Sciences; Joshua S. Gotlieb, The Frisch School, Paramus, N.J.; Gary A. Rendsburg, Paul and Berthe Hendrix Memorial Professor of Jewish Studies.

• Nicole Elise Marcus of Meadowbrook, Pa., College of Arts and Sciences; Frederick W. Fisher, Abington Senior High School, Abington, Pa.; Carol G. Rosen, professor of linguistics.

• Graham William Meli of Mahopac, N.Y., College of Arts and Sciences; Neil S. Fleming, Mahopac High School, Mahopac, N.Y.; Jeremy A. Rabkin, associate professor of government.

• Kenneth D. Davies of Ithaca, College of Engineering; Mark Nicholson, The Friend's School, North Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; Charles H.K. Williamson, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

• Jonathan Charles Eser of Pasadena, Md., College of Engineering; Thomas G. Kraning, Chesapeake Senior High School, Pasadena, Md.; Yuri Suzuki, associate professor of materials science and engineering.

• Christopher W. Gosling of Sewanee, Tenn., and Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., College of Engineering; Michael S. Dalton, St. Andrews-Sewanee School, Sewanee, Tenn.; Timothy K. Bond, manager of technology services for the George Winter Lab, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

• Rafael Jaramillo of Brookline, Mass., College of Engineering; James Dudley, Brookline High School, Brookline, Mass.; Bruce R. Kusse, professor of applied and engineering physics.

• Lucas E.J. Messina of Baldwin, N.Y., College of Engineering; Catherine Rio, Baldwin Senior High School, Baldwin, N.Y.; Charles H.K. Williamson, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

• Scott W. Triolo of Sparta, N.J., College of Engineering; Allen Rosen, Sparta High School, Sparta, N.J.; James Renegar, professor of operations research and industrial engineering.

• Waitz Tsui-Yee Ngan of Shatin, NT Hong Kong, College of Human Ecology; Priya Channa, Maryknoll Convent School, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Patti J. Papapietro, director of counseling and advising in student services, College of Human Ecology.

• Vanessa Marie Ulmer of Woodstock, N.Y., College of Human Ecology; Bill Yosh, Kingston High School, Kingston, N.Y.; Donald J. Barr, professor emeritus of policy analysis and management.

• Julie Ann Vultaggio of Massapequa, N.Y., College of Human Ecology; John Spiezio III, Massapequa High School, Massapequa, N.Y.; Karen McGreevey, associate director of admission, student and career services, College of Human Ecology.

• Marisa P. Althoff of Columbus, Ohio, School of Hotel Administration; William R. Powell, Chillicothe High School, Chillicothe, Ohio; G. Scott Gibson, assistant professor of financial management.

• Jason Andrew Gold of Waltham, Mass., School of Hotel Administration; Bill Schechter, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Sudbury, Mass.; Judy A. Siguaw, associate professor of marketing and tourism.

• Michael S. Tivin of Jericho, N.Y., School of Industrial and Labor Relations; Michael Hartnett, Jericho High School, Jericho, N.Y.; William J. Sonnenstuhl, associate professor of organizational behavior.

• Tracy Lynn Zuckerman of Plainview, N.Y., School of Industrial and Labor Relations; Marvin Hazan, Plainview Old Bethpage JFK High School, Plainview, N.Y.; Risa L. Lieberwitz, associate professor of labor law.