Namal Seneviratne ’19 was selected as a 2019 Phi Kappa Phi Fellow. Seneviratne, who will be attending the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the fall, earned one of only 50 $8,500 awards from the honor society.
Each year, TCNJ’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi selects one candidate to compete for the society-wide graduate fellowship. Eligible candidates must be recent graduates and active Phi Kappa Phi members enrolled in post-baccalaureate programs.
“He is an exceptional student, hard working, and an independent thinker,” says Amanda Norvell, biology professor and vice president of TCNJ’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.
In addition to high marks on his coursework, the biology major was president of the TCNJ chapter of Tri-Beta, the national biological honor society, and he conducted original research with associate professor of biology Leeann Thornton.
Seneviratne says his professors at TCNJ challenged him to think bigger. “The biology faculty encouraged me to have faith in myself by making me a better thinker with every class,” he says, “My overall TCNJ experience rewarded curiosity and exploration, and I think those qualities made me a strong applicant for the fellowship.”
Seneviratne is interested in the academic side of medicine as well as the clinical side. “Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society that encourages academic pursuit, so this award is an extra encouragement to follow my goals,” he says.
Ultimately, Seneviratne hopes to become a practicing physician involved with research, medical education, and medical writing. “I’m not entirely sure of my specialty, but I will find out in a few years,” he says.
— Sarah Voorhees ’20