Dr Sheila Kanani receives MBE for Services to Astronomy and Diversity in Physics

Huge congratulations to Dr Sheila Kanani on being awarded the MBE in the New Years’ Honours list for Services to Astronomy and Diversity in Physics.

Sheila is the Education, Diversity and Outreach Officer for the Royal Astronomical Society. She is also a planetary physicist, science presenter, secondary school physics teacher and space comedian, with a background in astrophysics and astronomy research from UK universities. Her experience includes acting as an ambassador of science, public speaking, events organisation, science journalism and school visits.

Sheila is also the author of five children’s non-fiction books (so far!), which include biographies of Rosa Parks, Michelle Obama and Amelia Earhart for Puffin’s Extraordinary Lives series, Space on Earth, and How to be an Astronaut and Other Space Jobs: The Ultimate Guide to Working in Space, which was shortlisted for the 2020 Blue Peter Book Awards and is being translated into eight different languages.