Eric Beckman, distinguished service professor of chemical and petroleum engineering in the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, was named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors 2020 cohort.

Preparing for a race without knowing how far you have to go is a difficult test of skill. It’s even more demanding when you have to compete virtually.

A team of Pitt students met that challenge in October when their model car—propelled by a chemical mix of their own creation—finished fourth in the regional leg of the Chem-E-Car Competition, qualifying them for the international finals on Nov. 15.