Sheila is an innovative and imaginative developer of ideas.  I had the great fortune to work closely with her at the Royal Astronomical Society.  She has a phenomenal capacity for delivering high quality projects, whether they tackle diversity and inclusion, work with new groups such as prisoners, teach children astronomy or devise new and appealing approaches for attracting diverse audiences to astronomy and STEM.  With all the brilliant projects she develops there is never anything but a complete consideration of the audience and a genuine wish to expand opportunities for all.  She is efficient and productive and a complete joy to work with.  I value her expertise, vision and ideas so highly, she was one of the first people I asked to be an advisor for a new charity Project Earth. I would recommend Sheila as an outstanding science communicator, innovator, evaluator and leader in excellent engagement and community practice, especially in the fields of Diversity, Inclusion and STEM.

Whilst working with Sheila on a multi-year national project with the Royal Astronomical Society, Sheila has grown to not only be just a colleague at the RAS, but an incredible collaborator, supporter and endorser of our work bringing an open and inclusive approach to exploring astronomy with young people. Sheila has really understood the complexities of the barriers some young people face and has helped us on this project to overcome any hurdles that young people or our staff have needed further support on. Sheila is an absolute joy to work with, always incredibly positive and supportive on a sometimes bumpy journey. Sheila is a brilliant and inspiring person with all that she has achieved in bringing the magical subject of astronomy to young people.

Through our work together on RAS200 Sheila supported us as a small charity to navigate the processes and develop our ideas, as well as supporting us throughout the process from beginning to end. She is encouraging and motivating to work with.

Sheila spoke on Allyship Training at the 2024 STFC Introduction to Astronomy Summer School. Sheila’s talk was both passionate and informative, conveying the subject matter well to a large group of new Astrophysics PhD students. She clearly cares very strongly about the subject matter and wants to support others to do the best they can. I was impressed both by the content and by how well suited her presentation was to this specific audience.

Sheila is an extraordinary colleague whose breadth of knowledge spans an impressive range of vital topics. Her passion for space and astronomy is infectious and genuine—just ask her about her Solar System arm tattoo! Sheila has a remarkable talent for sharing that enthusiasm with people of all ages, and she inspires curiosity and a love for science in everyone she meets. What really sets her apart is her dedication to making academia a safe and inclusive space for all. When I approached her with concerns regarding harassment in the field, she didn’t just listen—she took action, leading sector-wide surveys and implementing recommendations that are now informing my activism work. Her dedication and energy are truly inspiring, and I feel fortunate to have worked alongside her.