For immediate release:

CSULA Biology Major Awarded National Graduate Fellowship
18-year-old honors student will graduate on June 11, 2005

Los Angeles, CA – The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi recently announced that Cal State L.A. biology major David Nguyen (Downey resident) has been awarded a Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship for the 2004-2005 academic year. Nguyen is one of only 60 students nationwide to receive the $5,000 Graduate Scholar Award from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. This is the seventh year since 1998 that a Cal State L.A. student has been among the select national winners of the Phi Kappa Phi graduate fellowship.

Phi Kappa Phi is the oldest and largest national honor society dedicated to the recognition and promotion of academic excellence in all fields of higher education. The selection process for the Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowships is based on applicants’ undergraduate academic performance; leadership and service on the campus and in the community; evidence of graduate potential; personal statement of educational perspective, purpose and objectives; and the evaluation reports from three individuals who are in a position to attest to the student’s performance, citizenship and character.

Phi Kappa Phi National Fellowship winner: David Nguyen

David Nguyen will graduate from Cal State L.A. on June 11, 2005 at the age of 18 with a B.S. in biology with honors from his department and a cumulative 3.9 GPA. Nguyen, who plans to attend medical school, has been accepted by UCLA Geffen School of Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York City. After completing medical school, Nguyen plans to return to the Vietnamese immigrant community where he was raised to help improve medical care there.

Recognized as a high achiever at an early age, Nguyen skipped high school and directly entered Cal State L.A.’s Early Entrance Program (EEP). EEP admits extraordinarily gifted youngsters—some as young as 11—directly into college, providing the early entrants with monitored evaluation, regular counseling sessions, and the opportunity to study with like-minded peers. Nguyen excelled in the program, and took on challenging research projects beginning his sophomore year. Since then, he has devoted average of 10 hours a week in an inorganic chemistry lab, conducting research and leading a group of students studying air-sensitive compounds.

Since his freshman year, Nguyen has participated in Cal State L.A.’s General Education Honors (GEH) program, which provides highly qualified students with enriched intellectual activities through a challenging curriculum that includes honors classes, seminars, and research. He excelled in the program, and was awarded four GEH scholarships based on his potential for continued academic success. Nguyen is also listed in “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities,” and has been a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, of which he was elected president of his local chapter in 2003.

Even while juggling honors courses, laboratory research and extracurricular activities, Nguyen stays active in his community, volunteering at Downey Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Room, and serving as team captain of Cal State L.A.’s “Relay for Life” team, which raised money for the American Cancer Society’s cancer research.

“David is academically gifted and mature beyond his years. He has a strong work ethic, intellectual prowess and the ability to learn not only the theoretical aspects of chemistry, but to apply them in a hands-on environment,” says Wayne Tikkanen, chair and professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Cal State L.A.

“David’s father’s life has been an example of the American dream, allowing David to see the wonderful opportunities available for him. [His family’s] hard work and determination have inspired him to follow suit,” says Margaret Jefferson, professor of genetics and Nguyen’s academic advisor. “His hard-work ethic, team leadership skills and ability to work with others from varying backgrounds will make him an excellent doctor.”

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