Title: The Origin of the Elements: New Advances and New Opportunities

Abstract: Understanding the origin of the elements is one of the major challenges of modern astrophysics. I will introduce some of the big, open questions in the field and present several major advances from recent years. These advances include measuring the most complete heavy element chemical inventory beyond the Solar System, the first detection of transuranic fission fragments in stars, and new connections between dwarf galaxies and high-redshift neutron-star mergers. These advances will shape the experiments carried out by the next generation of extremely large optical telescopes and future space flagship missions in the 2030s and 2040s and transform our understanding of our own cosmic origins.