Latest news with #JohnSavage
Gulf Today
27-06-2025
- Science
- Gulf Today
Farewell to the US as the world's top science nation
Llewellyn King, Tribune News Service When I asked John Savage, the retired co-founder of the Department of Computer Science at Brown University, what the essential ingredient in research is, he responded with one word: 'Passion.' It is passion that keeps scientists going, dead end after dead end, until there is a breakthrough. It is passion that keeps them at the bench or staring into a microscope or redesigning an experiment with slight modifications until that 'eureka moment.' I have been writing about science for half a century. I can tell you that passion is the bridge between daunting difficulty and triumphant discovery. Next comes money: steady, reliable funding, not start-and-stop dribbles. It is painful to watch the defunding of the nation's research arm by a third to a half, the wanton destruction of what, since the end of World War II, has kept the United States the premier inventor nation, the unequaled leader in discovery. It is dangerous to believe the status quo ante will return when another administration is voted in, maybe in 2028. You don't pick up the pieces of projects that are, as they were, ripped from the womb and put them back together again, even if the researchers are still available — if they haven't gone to the willing arms of research hubs overseas or other careers. The work isn't made whole again just because the money is back. The passion is gone. There are crude, massive reductions in funding for research and development across the government — with the most axing in the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. The Philistines, with their metaphorical chainsaws, have slashed wildly and deeply into every corner of science, every place where talented men and women probe, analyze and seek to know. This brutal, mindless slashing isn't just upending careers, causing projects to be abandoned in midstream and destroying the precious passion that drives discovery, but it is also a blow against the future. It is a turn from light to dark. The whiz kids of DOGE aren't cost-cutting; they are amputating the nation's future. The cutting of funds to NIH — until now the world's premier medical research center, a citadel of hope for the sick and the guarantor that the future will have less suffering than the past — may be the most egregious act of many. It is a terrible blow to those suffering from cancer to Parkinson's and the myriad diseases in between who hope that NIH will come up with a cure or a therapy before they die prematurely. It is a heartless betrayal. The full horror of the dismantling of what they call the nation's 'scientific pillar' has been laid out by two of America's most eminent scientists in an essay in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. They are John Holdren, who served as President Barack Obama's science adviser and as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Neal Lane, who was President Bill Clinton's science adviser and is a former NSF director. In their alarming and telling essay, they appeal to Congress to step in and save America's global leadership in science. They write, 'What is happening now exceeds our worst fears. Consider, first, the National Science Foundation, one of the brightest jewels in the crown of U.S. science and the public interest. ... It's the nation's largest single funder of university basic research in fields other than medicine. Basic research, of course, is the seed corn from which future advances in applied science and technology flow.' The NSF co-stars in the federal research ecosystem with NIH and DOE, the authors write. The NSF has funded research underpinning the internet, the Google search engine, magnetic resonance imaging, laser eye surgery, 3-D printing, CRISPR gene editing technology and much more. The NIH is the world's leading biomedical research facility. The writers say it spends 83% of its $48 billion annual budget on competitive grants, supporting 300,000 researchers at more than 2,500 institutions in all 50 states. An additional 11% of the agency's budget supports the 6,000 researchers in its laboratories. Holdren and Lane write, 'Of the Energy Department's $50 billion budget in fiscal 2024, about $15 billion went to non-defense research and development.' Some $8 billion of this funding went to the DOE Office of Science Research, the largest funder of basic research in the physical sciences, supporting 300 institutions nationwide, including the department's 17 laboratories. In all of the seminal moves made by the Trump administration, what The Economist calls the president's 'War on Science' may be the most damaging.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UCLA's College World Series title hopes shattered in season-ending loss to Arkansas
For 12 years UCLA waited to return to Omaha and the College World Series. It waited 15 total hours to play the fourth inning of its game with Louisiana State. Now, the Bruins will have wait several months to play again. UCLA fell behind in the first inning for the second time on Tuesday and couldn't complete an improbable comeback. The Bruins' season ended at Charles Schwab Field in a 7-3 loss to Arkansas. Advertisement Starting pitcher Cody Delvecchio showed rust in his first appearance since March 28. Arkansas' Wehiwa Aloy sent a 2-2 pitch into the UCLA bullpen at 108 mph off the bat to give the Razorbacks a 2-0 lead after two batters. Delvecchio lasted four more innings before coach John Savage went into his bullpen. Six pitchers worked through trouble, with the biggest mistake leading to Logan Maxwell's two-RBI double to the wall in center field in the seventh. The Bruins' pitchers received limited support. The Bruins failed to score with runners on second and third with one out in the first and again with two outs in the fifth. They had runners on the corners with one out and Roch Cholowsky at the plate in the eighth. The star shortstop grounded into a 6-3 double play. UCLA's ninth-inning rally fell short. Mulivai Levu started the inning with a triple down the right-field line and scored on an error. AJ Salgado scored on the next play, a throwing error after a Payton Brennan single. Brennan eventually scored on a wild pitch. UCLA hit .167 as a team and went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position before the ninth inning. Advertisement Read more: 'A huge moment': Martin Jarmond discusses UCLA's plans after House settlement Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why UCLA might have an edge over everyone else at the Men's College World Series
UCLA coach John Savage talks to his players during a win over Fresno State in the NCAA regionals in May. The Bruins are back in the Men's College World Series in search of their first national title since 2013. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times) An NCAA communications official apologized to UCLA baseball coach John Savage before he could join two of his players on the stage for Thursday's news conference. They hadn't printed all the nameplates for the coaches yet. The coach then sat next to star shortstop Roch Cholowsky and outfielder Dean West at the microphone, finished typing into his phone and leaned forward for his opening statement. Advertisement 'Well, I think you can see by nameplate, you can tell that they weren't expecting us,' Savage deadpanned. Read more: After a 12-year wait, UCLA is back in the Men's College World Series He admitted he was teasing before acknowledging the Bruins' circumstances heading into their Men's College World Series opener against Murray State on Saturday at 11 a.m. PDT (ESPN). UCLA hasn't been to the College World Series since winning it all in 2013. The Bruins were the No. 1 national seed in 2015 and 2018. Neither team survived the regional and super regional gauntlet to be one of the last eight teams standing. Advertisement Savage felt good about his team in 2020 before the pandemic shut down the season. He liked their resilience in the following seasons. Then came the Bruins' 19-win campaign last year. It was a humbling experience for their touted sophomore class that's led a drastic turnaround. 'It's really special,' Cholowsky said. 'We've got a special group of guys. We've dealt with a lot of adversity through the year. Just getting back to Omaha, where the Bruins should be, is special to us.' No team in this year's CWS field played in last year's tournament — the first time that's happened since 1957. But the Bruins set themselves apart from the field because they have played at Charles Schwab Field this year. Advertisement Omaha hosted last month's Big Ten tournament. The Bruins won their first three games in the tournament before falling 5-0 to Nebraska in the conference title game. Read more: Chancellor Julio Frenk suggests he'll be actively involved with UCLA athletics 'Coach made a good point after the game that we can use this game and that weekend out in Omaha in the Big Ten tournament, and it's only going to be useful if we make it useful,' Cholowsky said. 'So just understanding the park, getting a taste for what Omaha is and just being hungry to get back here was the main thing.' Savage believes that week-long tournament helped the Bruins get a feel for the ballpark. They know the downtown streets, the hotels and the practice schedule. But he doesn't want the team to get too comfortable. He wants them to keep the edge they've developed since being shutout. Advertisement That loss is the team's only blemish in the last 14 games. The Bruins composed themselves to sweep their regional and super regional to win something that had eluded them for more than a decade. Savage knew months ago that this team could be the one to get back to Omaha. The Bruins were locked out of Jackie Robinson Field on Sept. 26, forcing them to scramble to different high school fields in L.A. traffic. On Thursday, Savage equated it to the Colts leaving Baltimore in Mayflower trucks over 40 years ago. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter has since restored access to the team's access to its home stadium, providing stability they needed during the season. 'It felt, at the end of the fall, I knew we potentially had something special,' Savage said. 'I was just hoping ... that we had enough talent. The makeup was there, the character, the loyalty, the toughness. That's great to have all that, but you've got to have talent at this level.' Read more: Q&A: How are college sports changing in the wake of House settlement? Advertisement This talented team will likely play its CWS opener in a hostile environment. Fans at Omaha typically cling to underdog stories and regional fourth seed Murray State certainly fits that bill. Savage assured everyone that he's taking the Racers seriously because of their path. They've won 44 games with regional wins over Ole Miss and Georgia Tech before taking two games off Duke. Helping the Bruins go forward in the tournament is a boost to its pitching staff. Cody Delvecchio is with the team in Omaha and academically eligible to play. Delvecchio has pitched simulated games and live at bats recently, but Savage acknowledged the situation is like calling someone up from triple-A to the MLB playoff roster. The right hander bolsters the Bruins' bullpen going into a two-week stretch every college player dreams about. And something everyone in the program has longed for. 'We want to come back here, put our name back out there on the map and show everyone what West Coast baseball has to offer,' West said. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Meet the seven teams joining LSU baseball in Omaha for the College World Series
Meet the seven teams joining LSU baseball in Omaha for the College World Series We're days away from another College World Series beginning in Omaha, Nebraska. The event has been a staple on the summer sports calendar dating back to the first one in 1947. LSU baseball has grown familiar with Omaha over the years. After beating West Virginia in the Baton Rouge Super Regional on Sunday night, the Tigers earned a spot in the CWS for the 20th time in program history. Jay Johnson's squad won it all the last time they were here in 2023. The College World Series will feature eight teams, forming two double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket meet in the CWS final. The action gets underway on June 13 and a champion will be crowned on June 22 or 23. With Murray State beating Duke on Monday night, the CWS field is set. It's a balanced field with just about every pocket of the country represented. From Oregon State in the Pacific Northwest to Coastal Carolina in the South, here's a look at the eight teams set to compete in Omaha. Arizona Wildcats Arizona is the old stomping ground of current LSU head coach Jay Johnson. The program is one of the most decorated in the sport. This is the Wildcats' 19th trip to Omaha. Arizona has won four national titles, the last one coming in 2012. Oregon State Beavers Oregon State is heading to Omaha for the first time since 2018. The Beavers are making their eighth overall appearance and have three national titles. Arkansas Razorbacks LSU's first opponent in Omaha will be Arkansas. The Razorbacks are still looking to win their first national title but are making their 12th CWS appearance. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Coastal Carolina is making its second trip to Omaha. The only time the Chants were here before, they won it all in 2016. CCU swept Auburn to punch its ticket. UCLA Bruins The Bruins are making their sixth trip to the CWS, but it's the first one since 2013. This is John Savage's fourth time leading UCLA to Omaha as head coach. LSU Tigers Jay Johnson led LSU to a national title in 2023 and after a one-year absence, the Tigers are returning to Omaha. This is LSU's 20th trip in program history. The Tigers have won seven national titles. Murray State Racers Murray State is in the midst of a Cinderella run. With the Racers' win over Duke, Murray State is on its way to the first College World Series in program history. Louisville Cardinals Louisville is slated to make its sixth College World Series appearance. This is the Cardinals' first trip since 2019. UL is yet to win a national title.
Hamilton Spectator
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
College World Series will feature some Pac-12 nostalgia. ‘This is for the West,' UCLA coach says
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The ghosts of the old Pac-12 will be lurking at Charles Schwab Field this weekend when the College World Series opens. Oregon State, UCLA and Arizona will be back in Omaha, where they combined for seven of the 24 national baseball championships won by the conference. 'This is for the West,' UCLA coach John Savage said. The Pac-12 went all but dormant last July when 10 of its members dispersed to other conferences. The Pac-12 will ramp up again in July 2026 with holdovers Oregon State and Washington State joined by five members of the Mountain West Conference and one from the West Coast Conference. No. 8 national seed Oregon State (47-14-1) is in the first of two years as a baseball independent and had only 19 regular-season home games because of scheduling challenges. The Beavers played eight more at home in the NCAA Tournament — the maximum possible — after coming out of the loser's bracket to win their regional and beating Florida State in a three-game super regional. UCLA (47-16) was the Big Ten regular-season co-champion, made it to the conference tournament championship game and was 3-0 in its regional before it swept UTSA in its super regional. Arizona (44-19) tied for fourth in the Big 12, won the conference tournament and went 3-0 as the No. 2 regional seed in Eugene, Oregon. The Wildcats had to go to North Carolina for their super regional and lost 18-2 in the opener. They won the next two, beating the Tar Heels 4-3 in the finale after erasing a 3-1 deficit in the eighth inning. Three other former Pac-12 schools — Arizona State, Oregon and Southern California — didn't advance past regionals. Oregon State plays Louisville (40-22) and Arizona meets Coastal Carolina (53-11) on one side of the CWS bracket. UCLA squares off with either Duke (41-20) or Murray State (43-15) and LSU (48-15) takes on Arkansas (48-13), the only remaining SEC teams, on the other side. For LSU coach Jay Johnson, it will be old home week in Omaha. He's a California native who lived his entire life in the West before the Tigers hired him in June 2021. He coached at Nevada and Arizona, leading the Wildcats to the '21 CWS. 'I know the brand of baseball out there, something I'm proud of,' Johnson said. 'It's where I really cut my teeth against some of those great coaches, and it'll be fun to see them out there' in Omaha. Oregon State coach Mitch Canham was the catcher on the Pat Casey-coached teams that won national championships in 2006 and '07 at Rosenblatt Stadium. Casey and the Beavers also won the title at the current CWS stadium in 2018, when Canham was managing in the minor leagues. 'Omaha is in the Beaver blood, man,' Canham said. 'It'll be the first time stepping in that stadium for me and each and every one of these guys, other than Zak Taylor,' referring to his director of baseball development who played on the 2018 team. Canon Reeder, who hit a three-run homer in the Beavers' 14-10 win over Florida State on Sunday, said he and his teammates formed a unique bond through the challenges of a season spent mostly on the road. 'To be in the position where we are, you have to take a step back and appreciate what you've done and where we've come this season,' he said. 'Job's not finished. There's eight teams left and we want to be the last one standing.' Arizona coach Chip Hale, an infielder on the Wildcats' 1986 championship team and in his fourth season as coach, said he's impressed with how his team responded to the ups and downs of the first year in the Big 12. The Wildcats opened 0-3, won 17 of their next 18 and lost five of six late in the season. 'We hit some real roadblocks along the way and it ended up being a blessing to us because we got hot at the right time,' Hale said. The CWS berth is especially meaningful to Mason White, who leads the Wildcats with a .332 batting average, 19 homers and 72 RBIs. He grew up a fan in Tucson, recalling that he watched every game when Arizona won the 2012 title and in 2016 when it lost to Coastal Carolina in the CWS finals. His father, Ben White, played for Arizona from 1993-96 and his grandfather, Tim White, lettered in 1968. 'To be a third-generation guy to go to Omaha, I'm the first one of my dad and grandpa to get to go,' he said. 'It's almost like a dream. I just can't believe it.' ___ AP Sports Writer Brett Martell is Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report. ___ AP college sports:
