Note to reporters: To request a digital photo or to arrange an interview with Natasha Spottiswoode, please contact the Public Affairs office at Cal State L.A., (323) 343-3050.

At 18, Phi Kappa Phi graduate fellow off to Oxford

Among only 60 nationally, biology student is
Cal State L.A.’s 11th honoree in 12 years

Los Angeles, CA – Cal State L.A. biology major Natasha Spottiswoode (Beverly Hills, CA resident) is one of only 60 students nationwide to be awarded a prestigious Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) Graduate Fellowship for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Spottiswoode—who completed her bachelor’s degree in biology last year—will attend Oxford University in England this fall. She plans to pursue a career in academic or clinical research. She was also admitted to master’s programs in biological sciences at University of Massachusetts and University of London.   

Spottiswoode, now 18, took advantage of Cal State L.A.’s Early Entrance Program to start college early—at age 13. 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.  

In receiving the $5,000 award, Spottiswoode becomes the 11th Cal State L.A. student in the past 12 years to be selected for the Phi Kappa Phi graduate fellowship.  

Barbara Veno, biology lecturer at Cal State L.A., described Spottiswoode as “an articulate, disciplined, and dedicated student whose academic ability and determination promise great success.” 

A National Dean’s List student, Spottiswoode is a member of the Cal State L.A. chapters of Beta Beta Beta Biological Society, Golden Key International Honour Society, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.  

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. Its fellowships are based on applicants’ undergraduate academic performance; leadership and service on the campus and in the community; evidence of graduate potential; a personal statement of educational purpose; and performance, citizenship and character. 

Also at Cal State L.A., Spottiswoode was president for the Humanitarians on Campus, vice president and social chair for the Early Entrance Program Club, and a research assistant for Professor John Gamon at The Virtual Center for Spatial Analysis and Remote Sensing laboratory. She also competed as a member of the CSULA Forensic Debate Team.

Off campus, she volunteered for the Barack Obama presidential campaign and for the Jatun Sachu conservation organization on the Galapagos Islands. She was trained and worked in behavioral research techniques with spectacled bears at the Chester Zoo in England.  

A research assistant in the UCLA Neuroscience Laboratory, she studied the effects of various substances on neuroglial cells through calcium imaging.  

Spottiswoode currently works part-time as a GRE (Graduate Record Exams) teacher and tutor for Kaplan, Inc. She is also a certified advanced PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) scuba diver and a classical cellist. She previously was a member of the Colburn School String Ensemble and the Colburn String Orchestra. 

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