Cornell University's Merrill Presidential Scholars Program is honoring 36 Cornell undergraduate students as well as the high school teachers and university faculty members who made important contributions to the students' lives, during the annual event held on campus this week, May 24 and 25.

Each spring semester, 36 scholars, representing approximately 1 percent of the graduating class, are named to receive this honor by the deans of each of Cornell's seven undergraduate colleges. The scholars, in turn, recognize a high school teacher who most inspired their scholastic development and a Cornell faculty member who most significantly contributed to their college experience. The high school teachers -- including two each from Singapore and British Columbia, plus one from Hong Kong -- were invited to campus as guests of the university, to participate in the two days of events.

The Merrill Presidential Scholars Program is made possible by funding from Philip Merrill, Cornell Class of 1955. The high school teachers are honored under the STAR (Special Teachers Are Recognized) Scholarship established in 1989 with support from the late Donald Berens and his wife, Margi Berens, both members of the Class of 1947. STAR is supported through additional gifts from alumni and friends. A one-time $4,000 scholarship is established in each teacher's name for a financially needy Cornell student from the teacher's high school or geographical area.

The 2006 Merrill Scholars are listed below by college, with their hometowns, followed by the names of the secondary school teachers and the Cornell faculty members the students selected for recognition:

Charles E. Crandall, Herkimer, N.Y.; Brian Lanz, Herkimer High School; Edward W. McLaughlin, the Robert G. Tobin Professor of Marketing, Applied Economics and Management.

Dann J. Laudermilch, Ulster, Pa.; Sandra Morris, Northeast Bradford Jr./Sr. High School, Rome, Pa.; Dale E. Bauman, Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor, Animal Science and CALS Nutritional Science.

Tracy W. Mak, Syosset, N.Y.; Arthur Kalish, Syosset High School; Andrew G. Clark, professor, Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Benjamin Adam Morganstein, Monticello, N.Y.; Peter Weinman, Monticello High School; Richard Curtis, lecturer, Applied Economics and Management.

Austin Ryan Pantel, South Fallsburg, N.Y.; John Lusk, Fallsburg High School; Steven J. Schwager, associate professor, Statistical Science, Biological Statistics and Computational Biology.

Joshua Harris Rubin, Croton, N.Y.; Jim Menick, Hendrick Hudson High School, Montrose, N.Y.; Cindy L. Van Es, senior lecturer, Applied Economics and Management.

Jill M. Thaisz, Gloversville, N.Y.; John Steven Van Arnam, Gloversville High School; Debra J. Perosio, lecturer and extension associate, Applied Economics and Management.

Scott John Valastyan, Wheaton, Ill.; Susan McNeal-Bulak, Wheaton Warrenville South, Wheaton, Ill.; Danny Manor, associate professor, Nutritional Sciences.

Colin R. Dentel-Post, Newark, Del.; Kevin Kelly, The Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, Del.; Kenneth Reardon, associate professor, City and Regional Planning.

Blake Fall-Conroy, Sparks, Md.; Ron Zaldivar, Hereford High School, Parkton, Md.; Hannah Israel, visiting lecturer, Sculpture.

Steven H. Hecht, Brookline, Mass.; Scott Butchart, Brookline High School; Francesca Molinari, assistant professor, Economics.

Sui Ling Kuo, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Thomas Man, Diocesan Girls' School, Kowloon, Hong Kong; James G. Morin, professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Matthew A. LaBoda, Vernon, Conn.; Anthony F. Casarella, Rockville High School, Vernon, Conn.; Graeme Bailey, professor, Computer Science.

Stephen T. Palmer, Antrim, N.H.; John Galton, Hanover High School, Hanover, N.H.; Judith A. Peraino, associate professor, Music.

Nicole Temkin Schwartzberg, San Francisco; Elizabeth G. Aureden, Phillips Academy Andover, Andover, Mass.; Richard Bensel, professor, Government.

Kaitlyn Ann Simpson, Binghamton, N.Y.; Bertie Lord, Binghamton High School; Cary Howie, assistant professor, Romance Studies.

Justin Z. Teo, Singapore; Kok Kwong Phoon, St. Andrew's School, Singapore; Charles Chang, assistant professor, Finance, Accounting and Real Estate Program.

Lindsey A. Trachtenberg, Madison, Wis.; Art Camosy, James Madison Memorial High School, Madison, Wis.; Larry D. Brown, professor, Geological Sciences, and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

Erica Lauren Waldbaum, Old Westbury, N.Y.; Jerilyn Cowen, The Wheatley School, Old Westbury, N.Y.; Judith Bernstock, associate professor, Art History.

Brian J. Walker, Severna Park, Md.; Susan Chittim, Severna Park High School; D. Tyler McQuade, assistant professor, Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

Janelle Wallis Weinstock, Kingston, Pa.; Thomas W. Jones, Wyoming Valley West, Plymouth, Pa.; James B. Maas, professor, Psychology.

Gregory R. Bowman, Oak Hill, Va.; Omar R. Acio, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Va.; Graeme Bailey, professor, Computer Science.

Helen M. Durden, Annandale, Va.; Kathy West, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Va.; Matthew P. Miller, associate professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Luke Zhenyu Goh, Singapore; Giok Liong Oei, Raffles Institution, Singapore; Charles H.K. Williamson, professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Clarence Lo, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Margaret Skinner, St. Michaels University School, Victoria, B.C., Canada; James A. Bartsch, associate professor, Biological and Environmental Engineering, and Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

Jason Paul Rich, Wakefield, Mass.; Regina Levine, Wakefield High School; Donald Koch, professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Jonathan Rivnay, Newton, Mass.; Lloyd Gottlieb, Newton South High School, Newton Centre, Mass.; George G. Malliaras, associate professor, Materials Science and Engineering.

Hope L. Weiss, Homewood, Ill.; Brian McCarthy, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor, Ill.; Charles H.K. Williamson, professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

William Yang, Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Muriel Densford, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, Vancouver; Charles Chang, assistant professor, Finance, Accounting and Real Estate Program.

John P. Zimmer, Cos Cob, Conn.; Michael F. Batcheller, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, Conn.; Robert Frederick Young, visiting lecturer, City and Regional Planning.

Lindsay A. Garver, Fairport, N.Y.; James F. Shannon, Pittsford Mendon High School, Pittsford, N.Y.; Rosemary Avery, professor and department chairperson, Policy Analysis and Management.

Melissa Lee Medoway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; Gregory Gagliardi, Cherry Hill High School East; Gary Evans, the Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professor, Design and Environmental Analysis.

Lev Slootsky, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Robert Marx, Edward R. Murrow High School, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Liam O'Neill, assistant professor, Policy Analysis and Management.

Katelyn Rita Smithling, Beaver Falls, N.Y.; Kendra Virkler, Beaver River Central School, Beaver Falls, N.Y.; Virginia Utermohlen, associate professor, Nutritional Sciences.

Mariya Kupershmidt, Pleasanton, Calif.; Brian Ladd, Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, Calif.; Ronald Ehrenberg, the Irving M. Ives Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Economics, Labor Economics.

Keith M. Motelson, Katonah, N.Y.; Martin Kochanov, John Jay High School, Cross River, N.Y.; George Boyer, professor, Labor Economics.