Lindsay France/University Photography

Professor Rosemary Avery, selected for the ninth time for recognition by a graduating senior, enjoys the Merrill Presidential Scholars luncheon May 25.

Since 1988 Cornell's most outstanding graduating seniors have been selected by their college deans as Merrill Presidential Scholars, and they, in turn, recognize the high school teacher who inspired their studies and the Cornell faculty member who most contributed to their university experience. This year 33 students -- approximately 1 percent of graduating seniors -- were selected.

The university invited the high school teachers to campus and honored the seniors and teachers with two days of events, May 24-25.

Among the highlights this year, high school teacher Richard Driskill traveled from France to visit former student Anuja Thatte. Cornell faculty members Kifle Gebremedhin and Paat Rusmevichientong were honored by two students each; Charles Williamson was cited for the 11th time; and Rosemary Avery received her ninth Merrill invitation. Two Merrill scholars attended the same high school: Vishal Saggar and Sarah Fogel studied at Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, N.Y.

The university also honors the high school teachers with Special Teachers Are Recognized (STAR) scholarships, a one-time $4,000 scholarship in each teacher's name for a financially needy Cornell student from the teacher's high school or geographical area. STAR scholarships were established in 1989 by the late Donald Berens and his wife, Margi Berens, both Class of 1947. The late Philip Merrill '55 made the Merrill Presidential Scholars Program possible.

The 2011 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:

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

• Paul Bagi, Potomac, Md.; Clinton Brown, Winston Churchill High School; Gerald Feigenson, professor, molecular biology and genetics.
• Andrew Barnell, St. Louis; Andy Abbott, John Burroughs School; Richard Curtis, senior lecturer, applied economics and management.
• Michelle Fisher, Portland, Ore.; Mark Geren, Westview High School; Colette Waldron, Romance studies (French).
• Matthew Giambrone, Melville, N.Y.; Lina Carman, Walt Whitman High School; Kifle Gebremedhin, professor, biological and environmental engineering.
• Matthew Haber, Holland, Pa.; Joseph Warwick, Council Rock High School South; Sam Beck, senior lecturer, human ecology.
• Elise Jacobs, New York, N.Y.; J. Bradford Anderson, Trinity School; Sahara Byrne, assistant professor, communication.
• Jimmy Lam, Flushing, N.Y.; Ani O'Brien, Paul D. Schreiber High School; Martha Stipanuk, professor, nutritional sciences.
• Shu Lu, West Haverstraw, N.Y.; John Bjorkman, North Rockland High School; Song Eun Lee, graduate student, molecular biology and genetics.
• Jamie Meyerson, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.; Jeff Konis, Yorktown High School; Jeff Niederdeppe, assistant professor, communication.
• Vishal Saggar, Farmingdale, N.Y.; Matoula Lykos, Half Hollow Hills High School East; Timothy DeVoogd, professor, neurobiology and psychology.

College of Architecture Art and Planning

• Anuja Thatte, Port Charlotte, Fla.; Richard Driskill, Deerfield Academy; Michael Tomlan, professor, city and regional planning.

College of Arts and Sciences

• Nathaniel Brown, Hampden, Maine; Benjamin Johnson, Hampden Academy; Annetta Alexandridis, assistant professor, history of art.
• Katherine Finerty, New York, N.Y.; Robert Meredith, The Dalton School; Cheryl Finley, assistant professor, history of art.
• Nicole Kardassakis, Pacific Palisades, Calif.; Karalynn Ramon, Notre Dame Academy; Michael Goldstein, associate professor, psychology.
• Kyu Seob Kim, Suwon, South Korea; Yuriy Atov; Korea Science Academy; Aaron Wagner, assistant professor, electrical and computer engineering.
• Kyle Rifkind, Arlington Heights, Ill.; Joy Woollen, Rolling Meadows High School; Sarah Kreps, assistant professor, government.
• Elizabeth Truax, Los Olivos, Calif.; Dan Bixler, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School; James Maas, professor, psychology.
• Meiyi Wang, Fairfax, Va.; Ron Shapiro, W.T. Woodson High School; Vivian Zayas, assistant professor, psychology.
• Dayna Zolle, Centennial, Colo.; Karen Gerlich, Arapahoe High School; Erin York Cornwell, visiting assistant professor, sociology.

College of Engineering

• Andrea Bowring, Merion Station, Pa.; Peter Kaczmar, Lower Merion High School; Darrell Schlom, professor, materials science and engineering.
• Bernard Cammarata, Southborough, Mass.; Timothy McPartlin, Algonquin Regional High School; Kifle Gebremedhin, professor, biological and environmental engineering.
• Eun Gi Chung, Shinchundong Songpaku, South Korea; Ryan Tyler, Holderness School; Paat Rusmevichientong, associate professor, operations research and information engineering.
• Christopher Dembia, Roslyn, N.Y.; Scott Segal, Roslyn High School; Geoff Recktenwald, graduate student, mechanical and aerospace engineering.
• Matthew Monaghan, Hampton, N.J.; Steven Delorenzo, North Hunterdon High School; Charles Williamson, professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering.
• Madison Pearsall, LaGrange, Ill.; Anne Allaman, Lyons Township High School; Paat Rusmevichientong, associate professor, operations research and information engineering.
• Mengliang Yu, Shanghai, China; Liubo Zhu, Shanghai Yan'an Senior High School; James Richard Shealy, professor, electrical and computer engineering.

College of Human Ecology

• Sarah Fogel, Melville, N.Y.; Robert Hodum, Half Hollow Hills High School East; Tamar Kushnir, assistant professor, human development.
• Samantha Rubin, East Meadow, N.Y.; Linda Gerbosi, East Meadow High School; Rosemary Avery, policy analysis and management.
• Lin-Lin Wang, East Brunswick, N.J.; Anne Sanelli, East Brunswick High School; Ardyth Gillespie, associate professor, nutritional sciences.

School of Hotel Administration

• Robert Brewer, Beaufort, S.C.; Rhetta Bayne, Beaufort High School; Stephani Robson, senior lecturer, hotel school.
• Ian Ratner, Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.; Jennifer Newitt, Friends Academy; Richard Penner, professor, facilities management planning and design.

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

• John Karin, Rochester, N.Y.; Walter Gordinier, McQuaid Jesuit High School; Sam Nelson, senior lecturer, ILR School.
• Kimberly Kowren, Lawrenceville, Ga.; Brookwood High School; Jane Berger, visiting lecturer, labor history.