Jill Cornell Tarter is an American astronomer who holds the position of Emeritus Chair for SETI Research at the SETI Institute. She is widely recognized for her extensive contributions to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), having previously directed the Center for SETI Research and held the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI. Tarter's academic journey began at Cornell University, where she earned a Bachelor of Engineering Physics degree in 1965.