At 18 years old, Lara Tseng is already making her mark in the world of science. This spring, she’ll be one step closer to her dream of becoming an ornithologist—a scientist who studies birds—when she graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Cal State LA.
A Dean’s List student, Tseng will participate in the Commencement ceremony for the College of Natural and Social Sciences on Wednesday, May 21, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The Orange County resident is one of the youngest graduates in Cal State LA’s Class of 2025.
In 2021, Tseng was only 13 years old when she enrolled at Cal State LA in the Early Entrance Program. The program, which accepts highly gifted students as young as 11 years old, is administered by the Honors College.
Tseng reflected on that pivotal time in her life: “It was a time of upheaval…and I realized I wasn’t getting the support and resources I needed to thrive. I wanted an academic environment to align with my interests and facilitate my personal and professional growth.”
Becoming a teenager and getting through middle school at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was motivated to seek a more enriching and supportive educational environment.
At Cal State LA, she found a place where her lifelong fascination with birds could evolve into serious scientific study. A dedicated birder since age eight, Tseng transformed her early passion into an academic pursuit focused on avian biology and conservation.
“I have always loved nature and wildlife…and this later blossomed into a love of avian research and museum collections,” she said. “A biology degree was the first step toward building a career in ornithology.”
Tseng’s achievements are impressive by any standard. She is a Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation Scholar and received a Southern California Bluebird Club Founder’s Fund grant, which supported research that culminated in her first peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Emerging Investigators.
She was also recently awarded an Honorable Mention by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program, one of the nation’s most prestigious recognitions for undergraduate researchers pursuing advanced STEM degrees.
“Lara Tseng joined the Honors College through the Early Entrance Program as one of the university’s youngest scholars, and we were impressed from the beginning,” said Kathy Cooke, director of the Honors College. “She has delivered research presentations to the Mission Viejo City Council and the Western Field Ornithologists, earned a Goldwater Scholarship in 2023, and now stands among the top undergraduate researchers nationally with her NSF recognition. We are very proud of her and look forward to the great things she will accomplish in her future work in ornithology.”
Her current research, conducted under the guidance of Cal State LA Professor Eric Wood and Allison Shultz of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, explores how climate fluctuations affect feather wear and pigmentation in yellow warblers—small migratory birds that pass through Southern California. Her fieldwork takes place at the Bear Divide banding station in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Tseng indicated that this work allowed her to study how birds reflect changes in their environment. She said, “Tail feather samples can tell us a lot about the fitness of each individual bird and inform us about the impacts of drought and rain on year-to-year survival.”
Her academic journey has also included overcoming personal challenges. Tseng credits Professor Sam Chyau, who taught her Early Entrance Program section of pre-calculus, with reshaping her relationship with math.
“I had never been particularly talented or interested in math,” she said. “But Professor Chyau presented the subject in a logical and methodical way that I learned that math was never just about memorizing formulas or becoming a human calculator. His logical framework and meticulous documentation that characterized his class has put me at an advantage in all subjects, including my current research.”
Beyond the classroom, Tseng is involved in the scientific and conservation communities. She is an active member of the Western Field Ornithologists, worked as a birds and mammals apprentice at the San Diego Natural History Museum, and has held internships with both the Sea & Sage Audubon Society and Pasadena Audubon Society.
After graduation, Tseng plans to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology or evolutionary biology. Her research interests include plumage, coloration, and integrative taxonomy—work she hopes to continue as a professor or museum curator.
Tseng encourages other young students to explore the opportunities available at Cal State LA and through the Early Entrance Program: “If you have a good idea about who you want to be or what you want to do, and a college degree is part of that [vision], then I would not hesitate to apply to Cal State LA. Attending Cal State LA through the Early Entrance Program has offered me an incredible variety of opportunities that would have been impossible in high school.”
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 26,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex and the TV, Film and Media Center. For more information, visit www.CalStateLA.edu.
