Dr. Betsy Pugel is a contamination control engineer in Code 546 and the Planetary Protection Group Lead. She has over a decade of experience in planetary protection, including as instrument manager to the Mars Organic Molecular Analyzer-MOMA-MS and five years as the Deputy Planetary Protection Officer at NASA Headquarters. She never thought that her time in medical school would be put back to use again. Planetary protection was kismet!  She was a part of the team who supported COVID practices on Center, winning the 2021 Thomas J. Budney Award for Engineering Integrity.