Andrew John Norman
Senior Scientist · Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
- Address
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, P.O. Box 500, MS 120, Batavia, IL 60510-5011
- anorman@fnal.gov
- Office
- 630 804 4016
- Mobile
- 757 784 3400
- ORCID
- 0000-0001-8572-956X
- INSPIRE
- A.Norman.1
Biographical Sketch
Andrew Norman received his Ph.D. from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where he performed research on ultra rare decays of neutral K-mesons. His graduate work was performed on experiments E871 and E935 at the Brookhaven National Laboratory's Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS). He specialized in high speed data acquisition and triggering and worked extensively on multi-body particle reconstruction techniques in high rate environments to make a measurement of the branching fraction for the ultra rare decay KL → μ+μ−e+e−.
Dr. Norman was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia, where he performed measurements of hadron particle production in conjunction with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory as part of the MIPP experiment (FNAL-E907) and began his work on long baseline neutrino oscillations as part of the NOvA experiment (FNAL-E929). He continued to specialize in high speed data acquisition systems and was one of the lead architects for both the NOvA data acquisition systems and the NOvA data driven triggering systems. He also served as a project manager for the far and near detector DAQ integration and detector controls systems, and for the deployment and commissioning of the online computing systems.
Dr. Norman joined Fermilab as a staff scientist in 2010 with the Scientific Computing Division. His research has continued to focus on long baseline neutrino oscillations as part of the NOvA and DUNE experiments, where he is active in the fields of high speed data acquisition systems, real time pattern recognition, complex triggering algorithms, and large scale data analysis for next generation neutrino experiments. More recently his research has focused extensively on the adaptation of modern statistical analysis algorithms to perform massively parallel computations on high performance computing facilities. His work aims to provide next generation tools and techniques which can scale in complexity and dimension to test neutrino interaction and oscillation models in the DUNE era.
Dr. Norman long served as the leader and original architect of the NOvA data acquisition system and group, as well as of the NOvA data driven trigger system and group. He has served as the leader of Fermilab's Scientific Computing Division scientific programs (NOvA) group, data management group, and database applications group, and as the leader of the HEPCloud facility, which provides a portal to diverse computing resources — from commercial cloud to DOE leadership computing centers — for the high energy physics community. He served as one of the scientific leads for the SciDAC-4 HEP Data Analytics on HPC program, examining ways to exploit modern supercomputing centers for physics data analysis. Following his term as international computing coordinator for the DUNE experiment, he took on the role of Computing Architect for the international DUNE computing consortium, developing the computing and data models for the next generation of mega-science experiments. He is currently the Deputy Head of the Data Science, Simulation, and Learning (DSSL) Department at Fermilab.
Education
- Ph.D. in Physics
- College of William and Mary
- 2004
- Dissertation: Measurement of the Branching Fraction for KL0 → μ+μ−e+e−
- M.S. in Physics
- College of William and Mary
- 1998
- B.S. in Physics and Mathematics
- College of William and Mary
- 1995
- Honors Thesis: A Measurement of the Mass of the Muon Type Neutrino
Research Positions
- Senior Scientist
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
- 2020–Present
- Affiliate Faculty
- Colorado State University
- 2017–Present
- Scientist I
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
- 2015–2020
- Associate Scientist
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
- 2010–2015
- Research Scientist
- University of Virginia
- 2008–2010
- Post Doctoral Research Associate
- University of Virginia
- 2004–2007
- Graduate Research Assistant
- College of William and Mary
- 1997–2003
Professional Positions
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
- Deputy Head
- DSSL Department
- 2025–Present
- Group Leader
- DSSL, Neutrino Experiments
- 2022–2025
- Facility Lead
- HEPCloud Facility
- 2020–2025
- Scientific & Project Lead
- HEPCloud Project
- 2019–2020
- Assistant Head, Science Workflows and Operations
- Scientific Computing Division
- 2016–2019
- Group Leader
- SCD Scientific Programs, NOvA
- 2016–2019
- Associate Department Head
- Scientific Data Processing Solutions
- 2016
- Group Leader
- Scientific Data Management and Database Applications
- 2014–2016
- Group Leader (Interim)
- Offline Production Operations
- 2014
- Group Leader
- Scientific Data Management
- 2013–2014
DUNE Experiment
- Computing Architect
- DUNE Computing Consortium
- 2019–Present
- Co-convener
- DUNE Framework Taskforce
- 2019–Present
- Convener
- DUNE Data Model Taskforce
- 2018–2019
- Computing Coordinator
- DUNE Software & Computing
- 2016–2018
NOvA Experiment
- Head
- NOvA Data Acquisition
- 2014–2018
- Head
- NOvA Trigger Systems
- 2012–2017
- Computing Liaison
- NOvA Experiment
- 2012–2016
- Deputy Level 2 Project Manager
- DAQ Hardware & Electronics
- 2012–2014
- Level 3 Project Manager
- DAQ Integration
- 2008–2014
- Level 3 Project Manager
- Detector Controls and Monitoring
- 2007–2010
SciDAC-4 HEP Data Analytics on HPC
- Scientific Lead
- Neutrino Science Applications
- 2017–Present
Select Publications with Major Contributions
Author on 148 refereed and collaboration publications. Full publication and citation histories: inspirehep.net/authors/1020161 · orcid.org/0000-0001-8572-956X
- , “Precision Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters with 10 Years of Data from the NOvA Experiment,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 011802 (2026). arXiv:2509.04361
- , “Joint neutrino oscillation analysis from the T2K and NOvA experiments,” Nature 646, 818–824 (2025). arXiv:2510.19888
- , “DUNE Software and Computing Research and Development,” FERMILAB-PUB-25-0242-LBNF (2025). arXiv:2503.23743
- , “Dual-Baseline Search for Active-to-Sterile Neutrino Oscillations in NOvA,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 081804 (2025). arXiv:2409.04553
- , “HEPnOS: a Specialized Data Service for High Energy Physics Analysis,” IPDPSW (2023).
- , “DUNE Offline Computing Conceptual Design Report,” FERMILAB-DESIGN-2022-01 (2022). arXiv:2210.15665
- , “Improved measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters by the NOvA experiment,” Phys. Rev. D 106, 032004 (2022). arXiv:2108.08219
- , “Supernova neutrino detection in NOvA,” JCAP 10, 014 (2020). arXiv:2005.07155
- , “Search for multimessenger signals in NOvA coincident with LIGO/Virgo detections,” Phys. Rev. D 101, 112006 (2020). arXiv:2001.07240
- , “Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), Far Detector Technical Design Report, Volume II: DUNE Physics,” FERMILAB-DESIGN-2020-02 (2020). arXiv:2002.03005
- , “Implementation of Feldman-Cousins Corrections and Oscillation Calculations in the HPC Environment for the NOvA Experiment,” EPJ Web Conf. 214, 05012 (2019).
- , “First Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters using Neutrinos and Antineutrinos by NOvA,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 151803 (2019). arXiv:1906.04907
- , “Observation of seasonal variation of atmospheric multiple-muon events in the NOvA Near Detector,” Phys. Rev. D 99, 122004 (2019). arXiv:1904.12975
- , “Supporting HEP Data as the Exascale Era Approaches,” OSTI:1480092 (2018).
- , “HPC and Data Management for HEP,” OSTI:1478004 (2018).
- , “The NOvA Power Distribution System,” Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A 902, 123–137 (2018). arXiv:1807.02665
- , “New constraints on oscillation parameters from νe appearance and νμ disappearance in the NOvA experiment,” Phys. Rev. D 98, 032012 (2018). arXiv:1806.00096
- , “HEP Software Foundation Community White Paper Working Group — Data Organization, Management and Access (DOMA),” HSF-CWP-2017-04 (2018). arXiv:1812.00761
- , “A Roadmap for HEP Software and Computing R&D for the 2020s,” Comput. Softw. Big Sci. 3, 7 (2019). arXiv:1712.06982
- , “Constraints on Oscillation Parameters from νe Appearance and νμ Disappearance in NOvA,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 231801 (2017). arXiv:1703.03328
- , “Design of the ProtoDUNE Raw Data Management Infrastructure,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 898, 062036 (2017).
- , “Analyzing how we do Analysis and Consume Data, Results from the SciDAC-Data Project,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 898, 092048 (2017).
- , “SciDAC-Data: Enabling Data Driven Modeling of Exascale Computing,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 898, 062048 (2017).
- , “Progress in the Search for Dark Matter Using Upward-going Muons in NOvA,” PoS ICHEP2016, 201 (2016).
- , “Search for Dark Matter Using Upward-going Muons in NOvA,” PoS ICHEP2016, 1185 (2017).
- , “First measurement of electron neutrino appearance in NOvA,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 151806 (2016). arXiv:1601.05022
- , “First measurement of muon-neutrino disappearance in NOvA,” Phys. Rev. D 93, 051104 (2016). arXiv:1601.05037
- , “Performance of the NOvA Data Acquisition and Trigger Systems for the full 14 kT Far Detector,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 664, 082041 (2015).
- , “The NOvA Experiment, The First 12 Months of Commissioning, Operations and Physics Data,” AIP Conf. Proc. 1666, 110001 (2015).
- , “Timing in the NOvA detectors with atomic clock based time transfers between Fermilab, the Soudan mine and the NOvA Far detector,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 664, 082040 (2015).
- , “Large Scale Monte Carlo Simulation of Neutrino Interactions Using the Open Science Grid and Commercial Clouds,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 664, 032023 (2015).
- , “Recent Evolution of the Offline Computing Model of the NOvA Experiment,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 664, 032011 (2015).
- , “Fermilab Computing at the Intensity Frontier,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 664, 032012 (2015).
Synergistic Activities
Fermilab
- Member
- Wilson Fellow Committee
- 2019–Present
- Group Leader
- Computing for Science Strategic Planning
- 2018–Present
DUNE / LBNF Collaboration
- Editorial Board
- Nus2surf
- 2017–2018
Colorado State University
- Dissertation Committee (External Member)
- Derek Doyle
- 2019–2023
- Hiring Committee (Postdoc)
- S. Calvez
- 2018
University of Cincinnati
- Hiring Committee (Postdoc)
- T. Thakore
- 2020
- Hiring Committee (Postdoc)
- J. Todd
- 2019
APS, Division of Particles and Fields (DPF)
- Track Convener
- Computing & Data Analysis (Chicago, USA)
- 2017
Int'l Conference on Computing in High Energy Physics (CHEP)
- Track Convener
- Data Analysis & Software (Okinawa, JP)
- 2015
- Track Convener
- Data Acquisition & Triggers (Amsterdam, NL)
- 2013
Neutrino Factories and Future Neutrino Facilities (NuFACT)
- Track Convener
- Muon Physics, WG4 (Rio de Janeiro, BR)
- 2015
- Track Convener
- Muon Physics, WG4 (Glasgow, UK)
- 2014
- Track Convener
- Muon Physics, WG4 (Beijing, CN)
- 2013
External Awards & Projects
- Tachyon: Intelligent Multi-Scale Modeling of Distributed Resilient Infrastructure
- Principal Investigator
- 2023
- HEP-CCE Parallelism and Portability Project
- Neutrino Science
- 2020
- NESAP Tier 2 Award (Neutrino Analysis)
- Principal Investigator
- 2019
- SciDAC-4 HEP Data Analytics on HPC
- Neutrino Science Lead
- 2017
- SciDAC-DATA
- Project Scientist
- 2015
Researchers Supervised
- Derek Doyle
- DOE SCGSR Fellowship (NOvA)
- 2021–2022
- Elisabeth Petit-Bois
- GEM Fellowship (DUNE)
- 2020, 2021
- Marianette Wospakrik
- FNAL Research Associate (SciDAC-4)
- 2018–2021
- Andrew Sutton
- DOE SCGSR Fellowship (NOvA)
- 2018–2019
- Marilyn Wells
- Summer Internships in Science & Technology (NOvA)
- 2018
- Leonidas Aliaga Soplin
- FNAL Research Associate (NOvA)
- 2016–2019
- Aristeidis Tsaris
- FNAL Research Associate (NOvA)
- 2016–2019
- Pengfei Ding
- FNAL Research Associate (NOvA)
- 2014–2019
- Anna Eng
- FNAL Target Program (NOvA)
- 2011
- Emmanuel Munyangabe
- U. Virginia Ph.D. Student (DØ)
- 2008
- Chad Materniak
- U. Virginia Ph.D. Student (MIPP)
- 2004–2009
Lab Service Activities
Review Committees
- ProtoDUNE Single Phase DAQ Review
- 2017
- Minerva Computing Operational Readiness Review
- 2016
- Mu2e Offline Computing Review
- 2015
- μBooNE Offline Computing Review
- 2015
- Minerva Computing Infrastructure Review
- 2014
- CMS Disk Purchasing Committee
- 2011
- Storage Investigation and Review Taskforce
- 2010
Hiring Committees
- Wilson Fellow Committee
- 2019
- SCD Hiring Committee (Chair)
- Research Associate (Wospakrik)
- 2018
- SCD Hiring Committee (Chair)
- Research Associate (Aliaga, Tsaris)
- 2016
- SCD/PPD Hiring Committee
- Research Associate (Ding)
- 2014
- SCD Hiring Committee (Chair)
- Applications Physicist
- 2014
- SCD Hiring Committee
- Visiting Scientists (Internships)
- 2014
- SCD Hiring Committee
- App. Dev. and Sys. Analyst I
- 2014
- SCD Hiring Committee
- Comp. Phys. Dev. II
- 2014
- SCD Hiring Committee
- Comp. Phys. Dev. I
- 2013
- CD Hiring Committee
- System Administrator II
- 2011
Leadership Activities
DUNE Collaboration
- Computing Architect
- DUNE Computing Consortium
- 2019–Present
- Responsible for describing the scientific and technical computing needs of the DUNE experiment and designing an overarching computing and data model to meet those needs. Led the DUNE data model taskforce and served as leading contributor to computing model and data model workshops. Developed documentation and plans for the DUNE computing model and technical design reports. Worked with international partners to ensure designs could leverage international contributions to the project. Worked extensively with the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) facilities to develop computing plans and models that could leverage exascale computing facilities.
- Computing Co-Coordinator
- DUNE Software & Computing
- 2016–2018
- Co-leader of the DUNE software and computing group, responsible for the planning and development of computing infrastructure and services in support of the DUNE and ProtoDUNE experiments. Organized and managed the DUNE S&C groups for centralized production, data management, software release and development, and database systems and applications. Developed the computing model for the 2018 ProtoDUNE single phase detector run at CERN.
Fermilab HEPCloud
- Facility Lead
- HEPCloud Facility
- 2020–2025
- Led the HEPCloud facility, providing a production portal to diverse high-throughput and high-performance computing resources — from commercial clouds to DOE leadership computing facilities — for the high energy physics community.
NOvA Project Management
- Deputy Level 2 Project Manager
- DAQ Hardware & Electronics
- 2012–2014
- Level 3 Project Manager
- DAQ Integration
- 2008–2014
- Level 3 Project Manager
- Detector Controls & Monitoring
- 2007–2010
FNAL Scientific Computing Division
- Group Leader
- Scientific Data Management and Database Applications
- 2014–2016
- Leadership and line management (11 direct reports) of personnel developing and maintaining tools for large scale data management and database applications for scientific data processing. Management of the Sequential Access with Metadata (SAM) system for data management, Intensity Frontier Beams Database (IFBeam) system, Electronic Collaboration Logbook (ECL), and other data analysis, data management, and database tools for Fermilab experiments provided by the Scientific Computing Division.
- Group Leader (Interim)
- Offline Production Operations Group
- 2014
- Leadership and line management (3 direct reports) of personnel providing operational support for running intensity frontier experiments' (NOvA, Minerva, Minos, Mu2e) large scale data processing, analysis, and simulation work.
- Group Leader
- Scientific Data Management
- 2013–2014
- Leadership and line management (6 direct reports) of personnel developing and maintaining tools for large scale data management. Integration and adaptation of the SAM system with the NOvA experiment's tools and frameworks for simulation and data analysis. Integration of SAM with other intensity frontier experiments at Fermilab. Adaptation and integration of data management tools with the Open Science Grid infrastructure.
- Computing Division Liaison
- NOvA Experiment
- 2012–2016
Research & Technical Activities
NOvA Experiment 2007–Present
Work on the NOvA experiment with extensive work in the development of the data acquisition (DAQ), trigger systems, timing systems, and online/offline software, and the integration and use of high performance computing for neutrino analysis. Leadership roles in the NOvA collaboration, including as convener of the data driven triggering working group, and extensive leadership roles and work on the designs, implementation, deployment, and commissioning of the NOvA detector readout systems for the near detector on the surface (NDOS) prototype. Major leadership roles, technical contributions, and research activities on NOvA include:
- NOvA Parameter Estimation and Fitting on HPC
- 2017–Present
- Scientific and technical leadership and major research work on the use and optimization of high dimensional fitting techniques on supercomputing platforms. Developed and ran the largest single experimental HEP computation in 2018 for the NOvA oscillation fits, and developed optimized parameter space and parallel fitting techniques for neutrino and antineutrino results for 2019. Work is in collaboration with the ASCR supported SciDAC FastMath and RAPIDS institutes and has been applied to both the DUNE and SBN physics programs.
- NOvA Data Driven Trigger
- 2011–Present
- Scientific and technical leadership and major research work for the inception, design, development, testing, deployment, commissioning, and operations of the “Data Driven Trigger” (DDT) system and infrastructure, and for the integration of the DDT system with the primary DAQ readout systems. Leadership and development of the DDT based physics triggers, calibration triggers, and their integration with the NOvA physics programs.
- Timing & Synchronization System
- 2009–Present
- Scientific and technical leadership for the design, testing, deployment, integration, commissioning, and operations of the timing distribution systems for the NOvA far, near, and prototype (NDOS) detectors. Scientific and technical leadership for the development, testing, integration, commissioning, and operations of the embedded software readout systems for the timing system and of the user interfaces and diagnostic tools for the timing system.
- NOvA Data Acquisition Readout Systems
- 2009–Present
- Scientific and technical leadership, development, deployment, commissioning, and operations of the NOvA DAQ readout systems and subsystems for the far, near, and prototype NDOS detectors. Major contributions to the embedded readout systems software/hardware interfaces (front end boards, data concentrator modules, timing distribution units), DAQ computing model and computing clusters for readout and triggering, design of the DAQ data formats, data parsing and unpacking libraries, and integration with the offline analysis framework; development and integration of the data handling systems for NOvA and their integration with the SAM infrastructure; development and integration of the accelerator beam information and spill servers; development and integration of the global and DDT triggering systems.
Mu2e Experiment 2007–2012
Development of models and simulations for principal backgrounds (muon decay in orbit, radiative muon capture, cosmic ray shower fluxes), recalculation of experimental backgrounds, estimates for rare processes, general experiment R&D, and software infrastructure planning.
Intensity Frontier Common Computing 2010–Present
Work on development of common computing tools for the Intensity Frontier (IF) experiments (NOvA, Minerva, Mu2e, g-2, μBooNE, LBNE) including roles in:
- Leadership, design, development, and testing of the Intensity Frontier Beam Data system for providing NuMI and Booster neutrino beam information to current and future IF experiments
- 2011–2016
- Adaptation of SAM data handling infrastructure for use with the online and offline software systems used by IF experiments
- 2011–2016
Experiment E907 (MIPP), Fermilab 2004–2006
Design and implementation of the MIPP trigger system (minimum-bias, K/π/p/p̄ particle identification, interaction, calibration, and special purpose triggers), and development of the specialized high-rate data acquisition system for beam Čerenkov calibrations. Development of the DAQ software modules for the calorimeter, large aperture drift chambers, small aperture beam chambers, and beam Čerenkov systems, with additional development of real-time monitoring, calibration, and efficiency calculation modules for each system. Commissioning, debugging, and repair of large aperture drift chambers and associated readout electronics. Commissioning and calibration of the hadron calorimeter. Designed and built a specialized scintillating fiber cross-hair detector for special purpose triggering and beam alignment during 120 GeV primary beam NuMI target measurements. Designed and wrote the high voltage control and monitoring systems. Supervised, taught, and mentored graduate students on techniques for performing fixed target experiments, including design and operation of common detector systems.
AGS Experiment E935, Brookhaven National Laboratory 1997–2003
Designed modifications to the E871 trigger system to allow the upgraded experiment (E935) to search for a light gluon/gluino bound state (R0 hadron). Commissioned and calibrated the lead glass array and the threshold Čerenkov counter. Commissioned the muon range finder. Wrote Monte Carlo simulations for R0 decay modes. Performed data analysis on the search for R0 → ηγ̃.
AGS Experiment E871, Brookhaven National Laboratory 1994–1999
Initial commissioning of the threshold Čerenkov counter. Initial commissioning and debugging of the muon range finder and range finder electronics. Monte Carlo simulations. Ph.D. thesis analysis: B(KL → μ+μ−e+e−).
- Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory
- 1996
- Summer research: N-D breakup in the star configuration.
- Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Hall A
- 1996
- Summer research: dipole field mapping and zip-track studies.
- Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Hall B CLAS
- 1992–1993
- Undergraduate summer internship: design, fabrication, and testing of the E&M calorimeter fiber optic light guides for the CLAS detector.
Major Collaborators
- J. Kowalkowski, S. Mrenna
- SciDAC-4 HEP on HPC (DOE/ASCR)
- 2017–Present
- A. Lyon, R. Ross
- SciDAC-DATA (DOE/ASCR)
- 2015–Present
- DUNE Collaboration
- FNAL-E1071 (DOE/OHEP)
- 2016–Present
- NOvA Collaboration
- FNAL-E929 (DOE/OHEP)
- 2005–Present
- Mu2e Collaboration
- FNAL-E973 (DOE/OHEP)
- 2007–2014
- MIPP Collaboration
- FNAL-E907 (DOE/OHEP)
- 2004–Present
- E935 Collaboration
- BNL-E935 (NSF)
- 1997–2003
- E871 Collaboration
- BNL-E871 (NSF)
- 1994–2003
Teaching Positions
College of William and Mary
- Laboratory Instructor
- Introductory Physics (Mechanics)
- 2000
- Discussion Session Instructor
- Introductory Physics (E&M)
- 1998
- Discussion Session Instructor
- Introductory Physics for Life Sciences
- 1998
- Laboratory Instructor
- Introductory Astronomy Laboratory
- 1998
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
- Modern Atomic Physics Laboratory
- 1997
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
- Introductory Astronomy
- 1996
Duke University
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
- Introductory Physics for Engineers
- 1996
- Laboratory Instructor
- Introductory Physics for Life Sciences
- 1995
Honors
- Society of the Alumni Award
- College of William and Mary
- 1995
- Golden Key National Honor Society
- College of William and Mary
- 1994
- ΣΠΣ National Honor Society (Physics)
- College of William and Mary
- 1994
- Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society
- College of William and Mary
- 1992
- Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
- College of William and Mary
- 1992
Advisors
- E. Craig Dukes
- Postdoc, University of Virginia
- 2004–2010
- John Kane
- Ph.D. (Primary), College of William & Mary
- 1996–2003
- Morton Eckhause
- Ph.D. (HEP Group), College of William & Mary
- 1996–2003
- Robert Welsh
- Ph.D. (HEP Group), College of William & Mary
- 1996–2003
- John Kane
- Undergraduate, College of William & Mary
- 1994–1995