Patricia Lewis (physicist) facts for kids
Patricia Lewis, born in 1957, is a smart scientist from both Britain and Ireland. She is a nuclear physicist, which means she studies the tiny parts inside atoms. She is also an expert in "arms control," which is about making sure countries don't have too many dangerous weapons. Right now, she works at Chatham House, a famous research group. She used to lead a special United Nations group that worked on disarmament, which means getting rid of weapons.
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About Patricia Lewis
Patricia Lewis has dual citizenship, meaning she is a citizen of both Ireland and the United Kingdom. She studied physics at the University of Manchester and earned her PhD in nuclear physics from the University of Birmingham.
In 1982, she helped children in Kolkata, India. From 1983 to 1986, she taught physics at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. She also did research at the Australian National University and was a visiting teacher at Imperial College London.
From 1986 to 1997, Patricia Lewis worked at the Verification Technology Information Centre (VERTIC) in London. She started as an information officer and later became its director. After that, she was the director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) in Geneva from 1997 to 2008.
She also worked at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California. Patricia Lewis was part of important groups that advised on nuclear weapons and international security. She also helped lead the Global Commission on Internet Governance.
Her Work and Achievements
Patricia Lewis has worked on many important projects related to international security and weapons. In the late 1980s, she helped the British government with talks about reducing traditional weapons in Europe. This was for a big agreement called the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.
She was also an expert for the United Nations, helping them understand how to check if countries were following agreements about weapons. She taught at Imperial College London and was a special fellow at the Australian National University.
Patricia Lewis helped review a report about getting rid of nuclear weapons. She was also part of the Tokyo Forum, which worked on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. From 2004 to 2006, she was a commissioner on the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, led by Hans Blix. This group looked at how to control very dangerous weapons.
She also advised the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament. This group worked on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and reducing them.
In January 2024, Patricia Lewis received a special award from Ireland's President. This award, called the Presidential Distinguished Service Awards, recognized her important work in education, science, and new ideas.
Images for kids
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The Aston Webb Hall at the University of Birmingham, where Patricia Lewis earned her PhD.
