 Sackett was the first full-time Chief Scientist since the role was downgraded to a part-time position in 1996.On 18 February 2011, in a letter to fellow scientists, Sackett announced her intending departure from the post of Chief Scientist, citing professional and personal reasons.While a physicist by training and an astronomer by profession, Sackett considers herself an educator by inclination and is certified to teach science at primary and secondary school levels.