Dr. Betül Kaçar is an astrobiologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who explores how life began on Earth and what that history can teach us about life beyond our planet. She leads a NASA-funded research center that brings together scientists across disciplines to study life’s ancient past and its future in space exploration. Her work has been recognized internationally, including the naming of asteroid 284919 Kaçar in her honor. Through science, storytelling, and global outreach, Kaçar invites audiences to see life as a planetary phenomenon, ancient, resilient, and full of possibility.