Participants

Jill Tarter

Astronomer and current director of the Center for SETI Research, holding the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI at the SETI Institute

Tarter received her undergraduate education at Cornell University and obtained a Master's degree and PhD in Astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley. She served as a project scientist for NASA's SETI program and the High Resolution Microwave Survey, and has conducted numerous observational programs at radio observatories worldwide. Since the termination of funding for NASA's SETI program in 1993, she has served in a leadership role to secure private funding to continue this exploratory science. Currently, she serves on the management board for the Allen Telescope Array.

Tarter's work has brought her wide recognition in the scientific community, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from Women in Aerospace and two Public Service Medals from NASA. Tarter was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2002 and a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences in 2003. She has published dozens of technical papers and lectures extensively, both on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and on the need for proper science education.

Takes part in
Our Place in the Cosmos