Cornell's Merrill Presidential Scholars Program will honor 36 seniors this week and the high school teachers and university faculty members who made important contributions to the students' lives.

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 are invited to campus as guests of the university to participate in two days of events.

The Merrill Presidential Scholars Program is made possible by funding from the late Philip Merrill '55. 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 2008 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:

Eric J. Bernbaum, Rye Brook, N.Y.; Bernbaum did not select a secondary school teacher but honored Garrick Blalock, assistant professor, applied economics and management.

Julie M. Granka, Niskayuna, N.Y.; Christopher Monahan, Niskayuna High School; Carlos Bustamante, assistant professor, computational biology.

Kaylan M. Kemink, Lagrangeville, N.Y.; Brian Battistoni, Arlington High School; Paul Curtis, associate professor, natural resources.

Megan M. Robblee, Mount Vernon, Wash.; Timothy Knue, Mount Vernon High School; Dale E. Bauman, professor, animal science.

Floris Van Breugel, Danville, Calif.; Eugene Mizusawa, the Athenian School; Hod Lipson, associate professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Lauren A. Weiler, Monroe Township, N.J.; Scott Madreperla, Monroe Township High School; Debbie Cherney, associate professor, animal science.

Derek C. West, Owego, N.Y.; David G. Russell, Owego Free Academy; Alex Flecker, associate professor, ecology and evolutionary biology.

Allison A. Wing, White Plains, N.Y.; Anthony Cutaia, White Plains High School; Art DeGaetano, professor, earth and atmospheric sciences.

Christine M. Buffalow, Renton, Wash.; Shannon Brannon, Liberty High School; Wilka Roig, lecturer, fine arts.

Mohamed K. Mohamed Abdul Alim, Singapore; Francis Tong, Temasek Junior College; John Forester, professor, city and regional planning.

Michael J. Barany, Roseville, Minn.; Amy Dahlin, Roseville Area High School; Robert Strichartz, professor, mathematics.

Bryan K. Beaudoin, Owego N.Y.; Timothy Finnessey, Owego Free Academy; Magnus Fiskesjo, assistant professor, anthropology.

Caitlin Corner-Dolloff, Exeter, N.H.; Christopher Matlack, Phillips Exeter Academy; Davydd Greenwood, professor, anthropology.

Vincent C. Hartman, Dayton, Ohio; Martha Carter, Carroll High School; Isaac Kramnick, professor, government.

Jian Liu, Concord, Calif.; Don Payne, Carondelet High School; Kaushik Basu, professor, economics.

Enongo A. Lumumba-Kasongo, Ithaca, N.Y.; Richard Anderson, Ithaca High School; Ronald Kline, professor, electrical and computer engineering.

Alisa Mo, Plano, Texas; Barbara Pittenger, Plano West Senior High; Robert F. Gilmour, professor, biomedical sciences.

Abbie V. Morgan, Blacksburg, Va.; Julie Grady, Blacksburg High School; Cynthia Johnston Turner, assistant professor, music.

Nessia S. Sloane, Riverdale, N.Y.; Frank Caparelli, Horace Mann School; Michael Jones-Correa, professor, American studies.

Patrick R. Conrad, Silver Spring, Md.; James A. Distler, Montgomery Blair High School; Mason Peck, assistant professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Vikas R. Enti Ranga Reddy, Bangalore, Kamataka, India; Murthy Usha, National Public School; Ephrahim Garcia, associate professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Jason S. Kahn, Port Jefferson, N.Y.; Michele Krivosta, Earl L. Vandermeulen High School; Dan Luo, associate professor, biological and environmental engineering.

Stephanie Peng, Englishtown, N.J.; Eric Levin, Manalapan High School; Gennady Samorodnitsky, professor, operations research and information engineering.

Andrew C. Poshadel, Goshen, N.Y.; Patricia Sherman, C.J. Hooker Middle School; Charles H. Williamson, professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Aaron D. Sidford, Port Washington, N.Y.; Thom Johnson, Paul D. Schreiber High School; John Hopcroft, professor, computer science.

Keith T. Wong, Vancouver, Wash.; Michael Andersen, Columbia River High School; Paulette Clancy, professor, chemical and biomolecular engineering.

Lindsay T. Fourman, Plainview, N.Y.; Bess Eliav, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School; Kimberly O'Brien, associate professor, nutritional sciences.

Elana M. Jacob, Glen Cove, N.Y.; Linda Rabino, Solomon Schechter High School of Long Island; Rosemary Avery, professor, policy analysis and management.

Bethany L. Ojalehto, Monroe, Wash.; Stephen W. Johnson, Monroe High School; Qi Wang, associate professor, human development.