Bob Becker ’70, who became the grueling Badwater 135 Ultramarathon’s oldest finisher last July, has been running dizzying distances for two decades. Now, the 80-year-old is preparing to defy expectations again during a 120-kilometer race in Southwest China.
Anne Simon, widely known for groundbreaking work with RNA plant viruses, which can threaten crops even as they offer intriguing new therapeutic possibilities, was honored with the inaugural President’s Impact Award at the 2026 Maryland Research Excellence Celebration on Thursday.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
A day after temperatures soared into the mid-80s, a weather whiplash struck College Park on Thursday, prompting David Chang ’26 (left) and Praneeth Idamakanti ’28 to snap pics of snow-covered Japanese plum blossoms. They’re the first trees to flower on campus each spring. (Photo by Dylan Singleton)
