Women’s golf says goodbye to All-American player as season comes to an end

As the Bruins’ season comes to a close, so too does the collegiate career of their young All-American.

UCLA women’s golf failed to advance past stroke play of the NCAA championship in Fayetteville, Arkansas, last week after finishing 20th with a 65-over 941. The day after the Bruins’ championship aspirations were stopped dead in their tracks, sophomore Patty Tavatanakit announced on Instagram that she would be turning pro.

Tavatanakit followed up her All-American freshman season – in which she won four tournaments – with another nationally-praised campaign. She was named a First Team All-American by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association on May 21 and is on the watch list for the ANNIKA and PING WGCA national player of the year awards after two more victories this school year.

The sophomore will join her former teammate, Lilia Vu, on the LPGA Tour.

Both Tavatanakit and Vu took time off from team competition in the fall to get their LPGA Tour cards. Vu qualified and left the team for good in November.

Vu was the Pac-12 Women’s Golfer of the Year in 2018, and UCLA notched an eighth-place finish in her absence. With Tavatanakit gone in the fall, the Bruins garnered a ninth-place finish.

In their first tournament with Tavatanakit back on the links, the Bruins finished in second. However, they would post just one top-three team finish from February to April.

A third-place finish and an individual victory for Tavatanakit at the NCAA East Lansing regional seemed to turn the tides for UCLA, but it finished 23 strokes off the cut at the NCAA stroke play championship.

The Bruins will now have just three players left from their 2017-2018 team that lost in the NCAA quarterfinals. But while that team graduated three Bruins, Beth Wu was the lone senior on the roster this spring.

Wu was UCLA’s second-highest finisher at the NCAAs, tying for 73rd with a 16-over 235. The Diamond Bar, California, native did not record a victory in her first three seasons with the program, but clinched a lone title at the PING/ASU Invitational on March 31.

The returning Bruins – junior Mariel Galdiano, junior Clare Legaspi, sophomore Vera Markevich and freshman Phoebe Yue – have combined for one career collegiate victory.

Softball’s top-to-bottom lineup strength propels team through postseason

Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez has said all season long that one through nine, the Bruins can hit and produce runs.

No. 2 seed UCLA softball (51-6, 20-4 Pac-12) advanced to the Women’s College World Series after defeating James Madison (51-10, 20-1 Colonial Athletic Association) twice in a best-of-three series. In both games, all but one inning in which the Bruins scored were started by the bottom of the lineup getting on base.

Sophomore utility Kinsley Washington and freshman utility Kelli Godin – the two who bat at the bottom of the order – went a combined 6-for-11 at the plate with six runs against the Dukes this past weekend.

“When they are doing their thing, we are a completely different offense,” Inouye-Perez said. “When (Washington) and (Godin) are in motion, all of a sudden we put on even more pressure once we get back to the top. When you see that happening, man I get super excited because we have a lot of options and it helps our offense build momentum.”

Washington has batted in the eighth position most of this season, hitting .305 and coming across the plate 39 times this season.

Inouye-Perez said Washington was key for the Bruins in game one against the Dukes, being the first player to get on base in both of the innings in which UCLA scored.

Through the first two rounds of the postseason, Washington has gone 7-for-16 at the plate.

“I think the most impressive part of (Washington) is that the game has been challenging her all year and she just hasn’t been getting the right outcome,” Inouye-Perez said. “Our game is that people will look at the stat sheet and determine someone’s ability, but if you really pay attention as we have, she’s been squaring balls up all year. She went through the highs and lows, but the game is finally paying her back.”

The nine hole in a batting order, where Godin has been almost all season, is often referred to as the second leadoff spot. She leads the Pac-12 with a .446 batting average and leads the team with a .500 on-base percentage.

Godin went 3-for-3 in game two against the Dukes, laying down a bunt single in the third inning that ignited a four-run Bruin rally.

The bottom of the order did its job of getting on base and the heart of the Bruins’ lineup followed suit, driving in runs and adding to the lead.

Redshirt sophomore outfielder Aaliyah Jordan, redshirt junior pitcher Rachel Garcia and senior first baseman Taylor Pack – UCLA’s three, four and five hitters – combined for all seven RBIs in the series-clinching win Saturday.

Pack, who hit two home runs in the win after going yard once in the 12 games prior to Saturday, credited Inouye-Perez for reminding Pack who she is and has been all year.

“Sometimes I get caught up in the game and let things speed up,” Pack said. “All week the plan was to hit the riseball and get on top of everything. Every time (Inouye-Perez) comes out, she just reminds me to only focus on me in my at-bats and ground myself back to center.”

Freshman pitcher Megan Faraimo, the winning pitcher in game two, said pitching behind this kind of offensive attack allows her to feel loose and not worry about when she makes a mistake.

“Obviously I never want to (make a mistake), but I know the offense is going to have my back and it’s a really great feeling to have,” Faraimo said.

Women’s basketball to welcome four freshmen in the fall

Four fresh faces will be coming to Westwood this fall.

UCLA women’s basketball will welcome its incoming recruit class, which consists of guards Camryn Brown, Charisma Osborne and Jaden Owens and forward Brynn Masikewich.

Brown, Osborne and Owens will join an eight-player guard room that includes 2018-2019 starters redshirt freshman Lindsey Corsaro and junior Japreece Dean.

“It’s going to be dependent on what (the recruits) earn,” said coach Cori Close. “My job is to mold a group of pieces that fit together as a whole and to be stronger than its individual parts, so it’s hard for me to predict how it will go. … (Brown, Osborne and Owens) are going to be three great guards here.”

Osborne graduated from Windward High School as a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, averaging 21 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.2 steals per game.

Close got a close-up look at Osborne’s skill set when she coached her at the 2019 USA Women’s U19 World Cup Team trials earlier this spring.

“We sort of got a taste of what that’s going to be like,” Close said. “I’m excited about her ability to affect the game on defense. I’m excited to have her deep-3 shooting ability. I’m excited to have her ability to come off the pick and roll with aggression to the lane but also to find people out (on the perimeter).”

Owens, another five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, averaged 20.4 points, 4.4 assists and 3.7 steals at Plano West Senior High School. Osborne and Owens ranked third and fifth among the best point guards in the country, respectively, according to Prospects Nation.

Brown was named the TAPPS Defensive Player of the Year twice during her time at Prestonwood Christian and took second place in both the 200- and 400-meter races in the Texas state track meet.

Next season will also be redshirt junior Natalie Chou’s first year of eligibility for UCLA after transferring from Baylor a year ago. Chou, who played with Owens in high school, said she expects the backcourt additions to learn behind Dean – another Texas native.

“It’s definitely a great time to grow as a leader and lead by example to show them the ropes,” Chou said. “(Dean) will be a really great example for them and I’m really excited for them to learn from her.”

Dean led the Bruins in assists with 4.9 per game while running the point guard position last season. Dean said she will be embracing the mentor role heading into her final season after being granted another year of eligibility.

“I know for me, it’ll be a big leadership thing,” Dean said. “(Close) is going to hound me to be a leader and to help them … because I’ll be a senior point guard.”

Masikewich – the only forward in Close’s recruiting class – will join freshman center Shayley Harris and junior forward Ally Rosenblum as the third player standing above 6-foot-1-inch. Harris averaged 4.8 minutes per game last season while Rosenblum did not step foot on the court.

Close will have the opportunity to see the the 6-foot-3-inch Masikewich play in Thailand when she represents Canada’s U19 World Cup team. Close said Masikewich’s passing ability resembles that of first-team All-NBA selection and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić.

“My favorite thing about (Masikewich’s) game is what a great passer she is,” Close said. “I texted her (during) the NBA Playoffs (about) watching the Nuggets play and Jokić and his ability. He was a second-leading assist guy in the NBA Playoffs and I think (Masikewich) has that sort of ability to be a point (forward) sometimes.”

The recruits will join the full team practices later this summer.

Senate bill proposes secure housing options, services to help homeless students

A California senate bill will provide housing options and services to help homeless students transition into stable housing if passed.

Senate Bill 568 will create the College-Focused Rapid Rehousing Program, which will link California’s homeless college students to housing resources in their community.

The bill will require colleges and universities that receive state funding to partner with local homeless service agencies, facilitate access to available local housing resources and ensure homeless students are receiving all available financial aid.

Alex Norring, the legislative director for California state Sen. Richard Roth who proposed the bill, said California’s housing crisis requires immediate attention.

“This bill is a targeted intervention that allows students to focus on their studies rather than where they will sleep at night,” Norring said.

A study by California State University found that 11% of college students reported being homeless one or more times in the last year. A University of California study showed 5% of survey respondents said they had experienced homelessness at some point during their enrollment.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised May budget provided an additional $3.5 million to the UC to implement rapid rehousing programs, Norring said. The current version of SB 568 would provide $9 million in funding to community colleges to help address student homelessness, he added.

“The Senate recently passed SB 568 with broad bipartisan support, and there is a lot of momentum behind addressing this crisis,” Norring said. “Given the commitments of funding to this cause, I am hopeful this bill will pass and we can start to provide additional resources to our vulnerable students.”

Student homelessness requires separate solutions from general countywide or statewide homelessness, said Paavo Monkkonen, an associate professor of urban planning and public policy.

Monkkonen said funding for housing support is limited and goes to people who demonstrate the most need, and college students that have been accepted into a university might not fall into that category because they are less likely to fall below the poverty line.

He said he thinks colleges should focus more on implementing their own housing initiatives to support homeless students instead of relying on state or federal funding because most students wouldn’t qualify for state or federal housing support.

“Putting students in the general homelessness pipeline doesn’t sound like a great idea, and instead we should give a new chunk of subsidies to students for aid and let students figure it out on their own,” Monkkonen said.

Monkkonen added he thinks colleges should be the ones primarily responsible for helping college students with housing support because they are more equipped to serve the specific needs of homeless students.

UC spokesperson Sarah McBride said the UC has not taken a position on the bill.

“The University has been proactively examining the housing challenges students face as part of our comprehensive approach to student well-being and supports the governor’s proposed $3.5 million in ongoing funds to UC for rapid rehousing services,” she said.

Norring said Roth and his staff are working with Newsom and his administration to ensure funding in the proposed 2019-2020 budget is allocated to help alleviate student homelessness.

“California’s housing crisis requires immediate attention, especially for our college students who are already under enough stress,” Norring said.

UCLA professor honored with achievement award named after him

An international technical organization named a new achievement award after a UCLA engineering professor.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a professional organization dedicated to advancing technology, named its top award after Asad Madni, an adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering in the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, a university press release announced Friday.

The Asad M. Madni Outstanding Technical Achievement and Excellence Award was created by IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu, the IEEE honor society, to commemorate Mandi’s accomplishments and leadership experience, according to the IEEE website. The award will be given annually beginning in 2020 to engineers who operate within the IEEE’s technical fields of interest, including broadcast technologies and industrial electronics, in order to recognize them for their inventions, developments or innovation.

Madni’s research focuses on the development of sensors and systems for aerospace and automotive safety, according to the press release.

Madni’s accomplishments include developing the extremely slow motion servo control system for Hubble Space Telescope’s Star Selector System, which allows the telescope to operate with increased accuracy and stability and capture clearer images of the universe. Madni also developed Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems GyroChip technology, which is used to aid electronic stability control and rollover protection in passenger vehicles.

UCLA professor awarded medal for editing, writing works on history of physics

A UCLA professor won the History of Science Society’s highest honor May 22.

UCLA distinguished professor of history M. Norton Wise was awarded the Sarton Medal for his writings and editing on the history of physics, according to an HSS press release. Wise has written three books on the history of physics, including “Energy and Empire: A Biographical Study of Lord Kelvin,” for which he received the HSS’ Pfizer Award in 1990 alongside co-writer Crosbie Smith.

Wise began his career as a nuclear physicist. He decided to move into the history of science after reading “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” by Thomas Kuhn, which focused on the impact of historical events on the development of the modern field of physics, according to a university press release. He holds doctorate degrees in both physics and history.

Wise also founded the UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics in 2004. The institute researches and publishes on the moral implications of advancing bioengineering technology, according to its website.

Wise served as the director of the history of science program at Princeton from 1991 to 2000, and began teaching at UCLA in 2000.

The HSS, founded in 1924, is the largest organization dedicated to studying scientific history in the world. It offers a number of awards and honors for writing and research in the field, the most prestigious of which is the Sarton Medal, according to its website. The medal is awarded annually to one individual to honor lifetime scholarly achievement.

Wise will receive the Sarton Medal at the HSS’ annual meeting in Utrecht, the Netherlands, on July 25.

Research team earns FDA approval for ADHD treatment device

UCLA researchers conducted a clinical trial that led to the approval of the first medical device to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The United States Food and Drug Administration approved the Monarch external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation System on April 19. The system, which uses electrical stimulation to treat ADHD, was developed by NeuroSigma, a California-based company that specializes in the development of bioelectronic technologies, according to an FDA press release.

The Monarch eTNS System is approved for use in children aged 7 to 12 years old with the disorder.

ADHD is characterized by difficulties in paying attention and controlling impulsive behaviors, and is usually diagnosed during childhood. According to the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, 9.4% of children between the ages of 2 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD.

Sandra Loo, one of the primary investigators of the clinical trial and UCLA psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences professor, said the Monarch eTNS System is an easy-to-use and nonintrusive device that stimulates the trigeminal nerve.

The nerve is responsible for facial sensation and motor functions, like biting and chewing. Loo said the device stimulates the nerve through a patch stuck to the child’s forehead during sleep.

The trigeminal nerve is also believed to be involved in controlling attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, Loo said. She said the Monarch eTNS system might work by increasing blood flow to the areas dedicated to these functions.

Trigeminal nerve stimulation is a type of neuromodulation, which is the alteration of brain activity with electricity through means such as an electromagnet or a 9-volt battery, said Andrew Leuchter, a psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences professor and the director of UCLA’s Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Clinical and Research Service, in an email statement.

Leuchter said researchers are studying how neuromodulation could be used to treat memory loss, chronic pain, mood and anxiety disorders and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

The device’s application to ADHD originated from previous research that tried to treat depression with trigeminal nerve stimulation and found that the treatment improved patients’ concentration, Loo said.

Steven Lee, a psychology professor studying ADHD development, said the disorder can require lifelong management. He said children with ADHD have higher rates of academic problems, social problems, psychiatric disorders and substance abuse over time than those without ADHD.

In the clinical trial, participants experienced reduced ADHD symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity after being treated with the system every night for four weeks, compared to those who received a placebo treatment, Loo said.

She added the treatment’s side effects were less severe than those caused by medication-based ADHD treatments. She said some participants who received the treatment experienced changes in pulse rate and weight, but remained in the normal ranges for those measures.

“We’re looking into what that might represent,” Loo said. “But overall, they were fairly minor rates of side effects, leading us to conclude that this is pretty minimal risk and highly tolerable treatment.”

Behavioral therapies and medications such as stimulants are the only two treatments for ADHD currently in use that are well-backed by research, Lee said. He added both of these are effective, but no patient responds perfectly to either one, so doctors may recommend using them individually or together.

Lee said stimulants are quite safe and effective, but may not be equally beneficial for everyone and have some known side effects, including disruptions in sleep or appetite. He added the stigma surrounding medication also causes families to have concerns about the treatment.

“There’s definitely a scientific need for developing additional treatments for ADHD, especially those that occupy a different space than the psychosocial and the medications, which for children and adolescents are the predominant approaches,” Lee said.

With more research, the Monarch eTNS System could provide a new alternative for children who do not respond well to traditional medication, Loo said. She said a future step would be to compare the effects of the device to those of medication in a clinical trial and study the device’s long term effects.

“Within the ADHD community, I think there are people that have a lot of questions about whether it is appropriate to have FDA device approval after one study,” Loo said. “I think it’s a reasonable question to ask, and we are going to put a lot of energy and time into researching further so that we will have more complete answers to many of these questions.”