Knowledge Exchange Manager (Research)
University of Oxford
Having started out with an English Literature degree, Sarah’s interest in sustainability led her to complete a PhD in Electrical Engineering at the Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST) at the University of Loughborough. Here she worked on flexible energy demand practices in households, which has largely informed her work since, mainly in interdisciplinary engineering consortia, including Transition Pathways (EPSRC, EoN), Realising Transition Pathways (EPSRC) and RealValue (Horizon 2020). Her knowledge exchange work is informed by 20 years of experience in NGOs, where she designed and facilitated participatory processes to facilitate conversations between various stakeholders on a broad range of sustainability topics including climate change, sustainable development, regeneration, community development, evaluation, developing indicators, local economic development, democratic engagement and business coaching. This made her an accomplished facilitator, process designer and project manager.
In her current role at CREDS, she has led the EDI work, including advocating for the employment of an EDI manager, working with stakeholders to scope the intersections between racial justice and energy demand research, supporting Early Career Researchers (ECRs), networking with others to promote EDI throughout the energy research community and co-leading an EPSRC proposal on EDI in energy research. She also leads the Transparency in energy demand research and data practices project, working to improve the transparency, replicability and quality of research methods in this field, as well as mapping the data used in CREDS and the wider energy research community.
Outside academia, Sarah runs her own social enterprise, a guest house in Herefordshire, promoting sustainable practices of various kinds and run for the benefit of young black women in South Africa wishing to pursue a career in electrical engineering.
Publications
- The leaders of tomorrow: our work with Early Career Researchers
- Data sharing workshop briefing note
- We are the ones that we seek: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in CREDS
- Summary of findings from heat pump flexibility expert workshop
- The role of knowledge exchange in energy demand policy innovation
- Call for evidence: All-Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM
- Evaluation report: CREDS early career researcher Flexible Fund call
- Equality, diversity and inclusion report 2020
Banner photo credit: Val Vesa on Unsplash