Sheila Mary Fitzpatrick is an Australian historian known for her expertise in Soviet and modern Russian history, particularly the Stalin era and the Great Purges. Born on June 4, 1941, she is a leading figure in the "revisionist school" of Communist historiography, advocating for a "history from below" approach that examines the experiences of ordinary people. Her work has critically reassessed the concept of totalitarianism and explored the distinctions between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Fitzpatrick is a professor at Australian Catholic University, an honorary professor at the University of Sydney, and Distinguished Service Professor Emerita at the University of Chicago. A pioneer in Soviet social history, she previously taught at the University of Texas at Austin and held the Bernadotte Everly Schmitt Distinguished Service Professorship at Chicago.