Patricia Lewis
Encyclopedia
Dr. Patricia Lewis is a British
nuclear physicist
and arms control
expert, who is currently the Deputy Director and Scientist in Residence at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She was previously the Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
(UNIDIR) and the Director of VERTIC.
Dr. Lewis publishes widely on all aspects of arms control and disarmament issues and is frequently invited to speak at international conferences.
, India
, and from 1983–86, she lectured in physics at the University of Auckland
,in New Zealand, from where she also carried out research at the Australian National University in Canberra, and as a visiting lecturer at Imperial College London. Secretary-general appoints Patricia Lewis of United Kingdom to head UN Institute for Disarmament Research
From 1986-89, Lewis was Information Officer of the London-based Verification Technology Information Centre, and its director from 1989-1997. She was the Director or the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) in Geneca 1997-2008. She is currently Deputy Director at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, California.
She has one daughter and one son.
and disarmament
agreements (see arms control enforcement), and during her time at VERTIC Dr. Lewis became a highly-regarded expert on the subject.
During the 1988-90 negotiations on the CFE treaty
, Lewis was a consultant to the British
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
on the verification of conventional force reductions in Europe.
In 1989-90 Dr. Lewis was appointed British government expert to the United Nations study on the Role of the United Nations in Verification. From 1990-92 she was a visiting Lecturer at Imperial College London
and was the 1992-3 Elizabeth Poppleton Fellow at the Australian National University
.
She was Chair of the UK Gulf Syndrome Study Group. She was also an external reviewer for the Canberra Commission Report on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, and a member of the Tokyo Forum for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Disarmament 1998-99. From 2004 to 2006, Dr Lewis was a Commissioner on the Weapons of Mass Destructions Commission http://www.wmdcommission.org, chaired by Dr Hans Blix. Currently Dr Lewis is an Advisor to the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND). Dr Lewis recently served on the American Physical Society's Panel on Public Affairs (POPA)study on Technical Steps to Support Nuclear Arsenal Downsizing"
Dr Lewis is the recipient of the American Physical Society’s 2009 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award recognizing "outstanding contributions to the public understanding or resolution of issues involving the interface of physics and society."
and a member of Scientists for Global Responsibility. She is a member of the Board of Directors of The Acronym Institute, a member of the Board of the Bonn International Conversion Center (BICC).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
nuclear physicist
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
and arms control
Arms control
Arms control is an umbrella term for restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation, and usage of weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction...
expert, who is currently the Deputy Director and Scientist in Residence at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She was previously the Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research was established in 1980 by the United Nations General Assembly to inform States and the global community on questions of international security, and to assist with disarmament efforts so as to facilitate progress toward greater security and...
(UNIDIR) and the Director of VERTIC.
Dr. Lewis publishes widely on all aspects of arms control and disarmament issues and is frequently invited to speak at international conferences.
Biography
A dual national of Ireland and the United Kingdom, Dr. Lewis holds a BSc in Physics from the University of Manchester and a PhD in Nuclear Structure Physics from the University of Birmingham. In 1982, she was a special assistant in the Rehabilitation Centres for Children in CalcuttaKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and from 1983–86, she lectured in physics at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
,in New Zealand, from where she also carried out research at the Australian National University in Canberra, and as a visiting lecturer at Imperial College London. Secretary-general appoints Patricia Lewis of United Kingdom to head UN Institute for Disarmament Research
From 1986-89, Lewis was Information Officer of the London-based Verification Technology Information Centre, and its director from 1989-1997. She was the Director or the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) in Geneca 1997-2008. She is currently Deputy Director at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, California.
She has one daughter and one son.
Career
VERTIC specialises in the verification of arms controlArms control
Arms control is an umbrella term for restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation, and usage of weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction...
and disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
agreements (see arms control enforcement), and during her time at VERTIC Dr. Lewis became a highly-regarded expert on the subject.
During the 1988-90 negotiations on the CFE treaty
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe
The original Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe was negotiated and concluded during the last years of the Cold War and established comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe and mandated the destruction of excess weaponry...
, Lewis was a consultant to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
on the verification of conventional force reductions in Europe.
In 1989-90 Dr. Lewis was appointed British government expert to the United Nations study on the Role of the United Nations in Verification. From 1990-92 she was a visiting Lecturer at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
and was the 1992-3 Elizabeth Poppleton Fellow at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
.
She was Chair of the UK Gulf Syndrome Study Group. She was also an external reviewer for the Canberra Commission Report on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, and a member of the Tokyo Forum for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Disarmament 1998-99. From 2004 to 2006, Dr Lewis was a Commissioner on the Weapons of Mass Destructions Commission http://www.wmdcommission.org, chaired by Dr Hans Blix. Currently Dr Lewis is an Advisor to the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND). Dr Lewis recently served on the American Physical Society's Panel on Public Affairs (POPA)study on Technical Steps to Support Nuclear Arsenal Downsizing"
Dr Lewis is the recipient of the American Physical Society’s 2009 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award recognizing "outstanding contributions to the public understanding or resolution of issues involving the interface of physics and society."
Affiliations
Lewis is a Fellow of the British-American ProjectBritish-American Project
The British-American Project is a fellowship of some 600 leaders and opinion formers from a broad spectrum of occupations, backgrounds and political viewpoints, drawn in equal numbers from the United States and the United Kingdom...
and a member of Scientists for Global Responsibility. She is a member of the Board of Directors of The Acronym Institute, a member of the Board of the Bonn International Conversion Center (BICC).
External links
- UNIDIR
- VERTIC
- Patricia Lewis: the risk of nuclear proliferation at Interactive Essays - War in Iraq (BBC)