Norbert Holtkamp | |
|---|---|
| 8thDirector 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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Prior to his return to Fermilab,Holtkamp was also a Science Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. [10]
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]