ITHACA, N.Y. -- Claude Steele, professor of psychology at Stanford University, will present the 1995-1996 Flemmie Kittrell Lecture at Cornell University on Monday, April 29, at

7:30 p.m. in Uris Auditorium.

His lecture, "A Burden of Suspicion: How Stereotypes Shape the Intellectual Identities and Performance of Women and African Americans," is free and open to the public. A reception after the lecture will be at Statler Hotel's Terrace Lounge.

After receiving his bachelor's degree from Hiram College in 1967 and doctorate in social psychology from Ohio State University in 1971, Steele taught at the University of Utah, University of Washington in Seattle, University of Michigan and has been at Stanford since 1991.

His current research focuses on the influence of stereotypes on self esteem and academic performance; the self-evaluation and self-affirming processes; and the role of alcohol and drug use in self-regulation and social behavior.

The Flemmie Kittrell Lecture, established in 1991, is dedicated to addressing emerging issues of a multicultural society. In 1936 at Cornell, Kittrell became the first African-American in the United States to receive a Ph.D. in home economics. While at Cornell, her boldness of character, her underlying spirit and her intellect became her trademarks. She taught at Howard and Hampton Universities. An expert in nutrition, child development and consumer behavior and education, Kittrell directed a State Department nutrition survey in Liberia, organized a College of Home Economics at Baroda University, India. Before she died in 1980, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, cited for her contributions to the improvement of family life and individual well-being.