Norbert Holtkamp
Norbert Holtkamp | |
|---|---|
| 8th Director of the Fermilab | |
| In office January 12, 2026 – Present | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Young-Kee Kim (interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Germany, United States |
| Scientific career | |
| Alma mater | Technical University of Darmstadt |
| Known for | Accelerator Physics |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Fermilab Oak Ridge National Laboratory ITER Organization Hoover Institution |
Norbert Holtkamp is a German-American physicist and science administrator. In December 2025, he was appointed the Director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), effective January 2026.[1][2]
He previously served as the Deputy Laboratory Director of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University, where he led the LCLS-II X-ray laser upgrade project. He also served as Principal Deputy Director-General of the ITER fusion project in France.[3]
Education
[edit | edit source]He earned the equivalent of a Master's degree in physics from the Free University of Berlin and a PhD in physics from the Technische Universität Darmstadt.[1]
Career
[edit | edit source]Early Career and DESY
[edit | edit source]Holtkamp began his career at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY). From 1992 to 1998, he was head of the research group responsible for the operation of injector linear accelerators. He also led a research group developing a normal-conducting S-Band Linear Collider concept.[4]
Fermilab (1998–2001)
[edit | edit source]In 1998, Holtkamp joined Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). He was involved in the commissioning of the Main Injector, the laboratory's most powerful particle accelerator at the time. He also led a multi-laboratory study commissioned by the Fermilab Directorate on the technical feasibility of a high-intensity neutrino source based on a muon storage ring (often referred to as a "Neutrino Factory").[1][5]
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (SNS)
[edit | edit source]In 2001, Holtkamp moved to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to serve as the Director of the Accelerator Systems Division for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS).[6] Holtkamp received the 2008 Gersh Budker Prize for his role in the project.[7]
ITER Organization
[edit | edit source]In 2006, Holtkamp was nominated as the Principal Deputy Director-General of the ITER Organization, an international nuclear fusion megaproject based in Cadarache, France. He served as the Project Construction Leader for the tokamak reactor design.[8]
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
[edit | edit source]Holtkamp joined SLAC in 2010. He was Deputy Laboratory Director between 2014 and 2022 and led the LCLS-II (Linac Coherent Light Source II) project.[1][9]
Hoover Institution
[edit | edit source]Prior to his return to Fermilab, Holtkamp was also a Science Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.[10]
Return to Fermilab
[edit | edit source]On December 15, 2025, the University of Chicago and Universities Research Association announced Holtkamp's appointment as the next Director of Fermilab, succeeding interim director Young-Kee Kim. He is set to assume the role on January 12, 2026.[1][2]
Awards and honors
[edit | edit source]- 2008: Gersh Budker Prize, European Physical Society (EPS) Accelerator Group[7]
- Fellow of the American Physical Society[11]
References
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