Outgoing Interim President Hunter Rawlings has been honored with the renaming of the 10-year-old Cornell Presidential Research Scholars (CPRS) program for undergraduates as the Hunter R. Rawlings III Cornell Presidential Research Scholars program.

The Cornell Board of Trustees approved the renaming in a resolution on May 26.

On July 1, David J. Skorton of the University of Iowa becomes Cornell's 12th president. Rawlings, who served as Cornell's 10th president from 1995 to 2003 and assumed the post of interim president in July 2005, is returning to teaching classics.

"We are really thrilled that President Rawlings' name is associated with the program," said Kristine DeLuca-Beach, director of The Cornell Commitment, the umbrella organization for three scholarship programs including CPRS. "He has a real dedication to undergraduate research and has been a huge supporter of the program all along."

The Cornell trustees' resolution included a description of Rawlings as "a master bridge builder" and praised him for his achievements during the 2005-06 academic year, including stewardship of strategic initiatives for the university, establishing partnerships and exchanges between Cornell and institutions in India and China, serving as a Cook House fellow and engaging the minds of students, aiding the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, promoting good relations with the Ithaca community and urging faculty to help shape public discourse.

The research scholars program, created with an anonymous gift to the university in 1996, provides significant research support over four years for undergraduates demonstrating superior academic potential and intellectual curiosity. Freshmen in all academic disciplines across all seven undergraduate colleges are eligible. Upper-class students also may apply in their sophomore year and enter the program after recommendation by faculty members. There are 200 students participating in the program.

Students collaborate with faculty mentors of their choosing in designing and planning an individualized program of research. Recent undergraduate research has included studies of music and cognition, radiation in neutron stars, professional pay scales among university professors, field work in Hawaii and New York City and projects in architecture, the social sciences, biology, human development, physics and genetics.

Each scholar receives an $8,000 research support account for use over their four years to pay for academic year wages, summer research and living expenses, and research-related travel and supplies. Scholars also can conduct research outside of their own college or major, using any of the university's resources. The program also allows for a need-based loan replacement of up to $4,000 per year for students on financial aid.

"I'm very proud of the board resolution," said Peter Meinig, chairman of the board of trustees. "Hunter has been a driving force behind the university's effort to provide research opportunities for undergraduate students."