Cornell University will honor 35 secondary school teachers, some from as far away as Russia, Singapore and India, May 26. The teachers will be brought to campus and recognized for their inspirational teaching with a $4,000 scholarship in their names for future Cornell students from their schools or regions.

The teachers were selected by Cornell's Merrill Presidential Scholars, students who represent the top 5 percent of Cornell's 1999 graduating class. The students are chosen by deans of each of the seven undergraduate colleges for outstanding academic 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, each Merrill Scholar also selects a Cornell faculty member who has had a strong influence on his or her academic career.

Merrill Scholars, secondary school teachers and Cornell faculty members will be recognized at a luncheon May 26 at noon in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall on campus.

The STAR (Special Teachers Are Recognized) Scholarship Program, which sponsors the teachers' awards, was established "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 Donald and Margi Berens, members of the Class of 1947, the William Knox Holt Foundation and the Cornell Alumni Association of Central New York.

The 1999 Merrill Scholars, their hometowns and colleges are listed below, followed by the names of Cornell faculty members and the secondary school teachers the students selected for recognition:

• Julie Helene Allmayer of Norristown, Pa., College of Arts and Sciences: Gary A. Rendsburg, professor of Near Eastern studies; Phyllis Silverman, English teacher in the Norristown Area High School.
• Sara Elizabeth Best of Ardsley, N.Y., College of Human Ecology: David A. Levitsky, professor of nutritional sciences and of psychology; Robert Clancy, English and Latin teacher, Ardsley High School.
• Amy Louise Bork of Little Falls, N.Y., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Terry L. Batchelder, instructor in the Department of Animal Science; Paul D. Bork, music teacher in West Canada Valley High School, Newport, N.Y.
• Unicia R. Buster of Richmond, Va., College of Architecture, Art and Planning: Jean N. Locey, professor of fine arts; Patricia Janes, English teacher at Armstrong High School, Richmond, Va.
• Chee-Song Chern of Singapore, College of Architecture, Art and Planning: Mark R. Cruvellier, associate professor of architecture; Joan Fong, physics teacher, Raffles Junior College, Singapore.
• Matthew Y. Chiu of Willowdale, Ontario, Canada, College of Engineering: Brian C. Smith, professor of computer science; David W. Slemon, computer science teacher, Upper Canada College, Toronto.
• Andrès Choussy Cáceres of San Salvador, El Salvador, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Deborah H. Streeter, the B. Failing Sr. Professor of Personal Enterprise, Department of Agricultural, Resource and Managerial Economics; Daniel Reyes-Guerra, social studies teacher, the American High School of El Salvador, San Salvador.
• Nicodemo Esposito of Brooklyn, School of Hotel Administration: J. Bruce Tracey, associate professor of human resource management; John P. McGoldrick, global studies teacher, Xavier High School, New York City.
• Peter E. Fecci of Plainview, N.Y., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Paula F. Moon, assistant professor of veterinary clinical sciences; Elaine Jay, French teacher, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School.
• Daniel M. Gluck of Amherst, N.Y., School of Industrial and Labor Relations: Michael Evan Gold, associate professor of collective bargaining and labor law; Robert E. O'Donnell, U.S. history teacher, Amherst Central High School.
• Amanda Christine Itzkoff of New City, N.Y., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Cindy L. Van Es, senior lecturer, Department of Agricultural, Resource and Managerial Economics; Robert S. Heltzer, social studies teacher, Clarkstown High School, West Nyack, N.Y.
• Carrie Lauren Jabinsky of Commack, N.Y., College of Human Ecology: Rosemary J. Avery, associate professor of policy analysis and management; Arlene P. Cohn, Spanish teacher, Commack High School.
• Leslie B. Kirchler of Mount Prospect, Ill., College of Architecture, Art and Planning: Sherene B. Baugher, assistant professor of landscape architecture; Charles L. Venegoni, English teacher, John Hersey High School, Arlington Heights, Ill.
• Jessica L. Klement of Bethlehem, Pa., College of Engineering: Kenneth C. Hover, associate dean and professor of civil and environmental engineering; Joseph M. Shosh, English/drama teacher, Freedom High School, Bethlehem, Pa.
• Marjorie Beth Kulak of Middletown, N.Y., School of Hotel Administration: J. Bruce Tracey, associate professor of human resource management; Marion House, global studies teacher, Middletown High School.
• Shannon Harold Lacy of Canaseraga, N.Y., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Dale E. Bauman, the L.H. Bailey Professor of Animal Science, Department of Animal Science; Robert E. Mitchell, mathematics teacher, Canaseraga High School.
• Bryan Christopher Lee of Waldwick, N.J., College of Engineering: Sunn Shelley Wong, assistant professor of Asian American studies and English; Carol Ann Barnes, guidance counselor, Waldwick High School.
• David Liben-Nowell of State College/Indiana, Pa., College of Arts and Sciences: Jon M. Kleinberg, assistant professor of computer science; Carol Ann M. Gentry, English teacher, State College Area High School.
• Vladimir A. Livshits of Brooklyn, N.Y., College of Arts and Sciences: Ira M. Wasserman, professor of astronomy; Igor Zhukov, mathematics teacher, Gymnasium #30, St. Petersburg, Russia.
• Heather Lynne Mahar of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., School of Industrial and Labor Relations: James E. McPherson, assistant dean and director of student services, Office of Student Services, ILR; Jaqueline L. Klein, English teacher, Spackenkill High School, Poughkeepsie.
• Susan E. Martonosi of Manlius, N.Y., College of Engineering: David B. Shmoys, professor of operations research and industrial engineering; Emily Brownell, chemistry teacher, Fayetteville-Manlius High School.
• Jennifer Olga Melnychuk of Glen Mills, Pa., College of Arts and Sciences: Lorraine E. Maxwell, assistant professor of design and environmental analysis; E. John Walsh, history teacher, Archmere Academy, Claymont, Del.
• Valerie Rene Mignone of Purchase, N.Y., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Richard J. Cleary, visiting associate professor of operations research and industrial engineering; June Ann Swartz, English teacher, Harrison High School, Harrison, N.Y.
• John Frank Murphy of Berwin, Pa., College of Engineering: T. Michael Duncan, associate professor of chemical engineering; Brad Butler, chemistry teacher, Conestoga High School, Berwyn, Pa.
• Betsy Blythe Ostrov of East Brunswick, N.J., College of Arts and Sciences: Thomas D. Gilovich, professor of psychology; Marta Heise, English teacher, East Brunswick High School.
• Stacey E. Pauker of New York, N.Y., College of Human Ecology: Elaine Wethington, associate professor of human development; Mary Frosch, English teacher, The Spence School, New York City.
• Phillip Ming-Tao Pian of Starkville, Miss., College of Arts and Sciences: Bik-Kwoon Tye, professor of biochemistry, molecular and cell biology; Lloyd Gottlieb, biology teacher, Newton South High School, Newton, Mass.
• Beatriu Reig of McLean, Va., College of Arts and Sciences: Patrick J. Stover, assistant professor of nutritional sciences; Cynthia K. Chung, biology teacher, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Va.
• Yakov P. Shkolnikov of Coram, N.Y., College of Engineering: Hans Hermann Fleischmann, professor of applied and engineering physics; David J. Carey, history teacher, Pikesville High School, Baltimore, Md.
• Jennifer K. Sitts of University Place/Gig Harbor, Wash., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Peter J. Trowbridge, professor of landscape architecture; Linda M. Lindemann, chemistry teacher, George R. Curtis Senior High School, University Place, Wash.
• Mukund Thattai of Bangalore, India, College of Arts and Sciences: John H. Hubbard, professor of mathematics; Geetha Narayanan, mathematics teacher, Mallya-Aditi-International School, Bangalore, India.
• Denise Y. Tran of North Point, Hong Kong, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Lydia E. Fakundiny, senior lecturer in English; Elizabeth R. Whiteside, English literature teacher, German Swiss International School, The Peak, Hong Kong.
• Julia Helen Watts of Cheswick, Pa., College of Arts and Sciences: Jane Marie Law, associate professor and director of religious studies; Jane Mather, English teacher, Fox Chapel Area High School, Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Katherine S. White of Ithaca, N.Y., College of Arts and Sciences: Barbara C. Lust, professor of human development; Mary Terese Pasquale-Bowen, history teacher, Ithaca High School.
• Matthew Ronald Willmann of Columbus, Ohio, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: William E. Fry, professor of plant pathology; College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Peggy C. Sheets, chemistry teacher, Upper Arlington High School, Columbus, Ohio.