Fermilab

Laboratory Director Appointment - December 2025

Dear members of the Fermilab Community,

It is my pleasure to announce that Norbert Holtkamp will serve as the new director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, starting January 12, 2026. Norbert has been appointed to the role following a search to identify an individual who will champion Fermilab's mission of pioneering scientific discovery, help ensure the success of projects critical to the lab's future, strengthen the relationships necessary for shared achievements, and inspire the next generation of researchers.

Norbert brings to Fermilab a wealth of expertise in managing large scientific infrastructure projects. He is currently a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he is a strong advocate for international scientific collaboration, and he also serves as a professor of particle and astrophysics and of photon science at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University. He previously served as deputy director for SLAC and as principal deputy director general of the ITER organization, where he led technical management for the multinational effort to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion power, one of the largest scientific projects in the world. His emphasis on project execution and operational performance will be invaluable as Fermilab continues to advance the LBNF-DUNE effort, the largest project in the lab's history and one critical to Fermilab continuing to serve as the "neutrino capital" of our nation and world. Norbert's background will also serve Fermilab well in its continuing work to modernize its operations and infrastructure to effectively leverage the capabilities of LBNF/DUNE and other major projects.

During his tenure as SLAC deputy director, Norbert led the construction of the LCLS-II Free Electron Laser and managed the laboratory's overall risk portfolio, including construction projects worth more than $2 billion. As director of the Accelerator Systems Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, he led the successful construction of the Spallation Neutron Source, for which the European Physical Society awarded him the Gersh Budker prize.

Norbert's project management background is supported by his deep scientific and operational expertise, which will further enable Fermilab's premier role as the voice of the international high energy physics community. He holds the equivalent of a master's degree in physics from the University of Berlin and a PhD in physics from the Technical University in Darmstadt, Germany. Norbert is also deeply familiar with Fermilab, having worked at the lab from 1998 to 2001, when he supported the commissioning of the Main Injector and led a multi-laboratory study on the feasibility of an intense neutrino source based on a muon storage ring.

I look forward to introducing you to Norbert at our all-hands meeting later today. As we welcome Norbert to Fermilab, I also want to express my deep gratitude to Young-Kee Kim for her tireless service as interim director. We asked Young-Kee to lead the laboratory for one year, and she immediately devoted her talent, leadership, and boundless enthusiasm to aid the lab during a time of transition. Over the year, Young-Kee played a critical role in strengthening relationships with Fermilab's leading stakeholders, driving the lab's modernization efforts, and positioning Fermilab to amplify DOE's broader goals in areas like quantum science and AI. Young-Kee will return to conducting her groundbreaking physics research at the University of Chicago.

Please join me in thanking Young-Kee Kim for her outstanding stewardship of the laboratory and in welcoming Norbert to Fermilab as laboratory director.

All the best,
Paul

A. Paul Alivisatos
President, University of Chicago
Chair, FFDG Board of Directors