Brian D. Nord is an American astrophysicist and machine learning researcher at

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), located in Batavia, Illinois, near Chicago, is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics. Fermilab's Main Injector, two miles (3.3 k ...

(also known as Fermilab or FNAL).

Early life and education

Nord grew up in Wisconsin. Nord studied physics at the

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

, graduating with a B.A. in physics in 2003, and went on to graduate school at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in Ann Arbor, where he got a PhD in physics. Nord's doctoral dissertation is titled ''Virtual Sky Surveys and Multi-wavelength Investigations of

Galaxy Clusters A galaxy cluster, or a cluster of galaxies, is a structure that consists of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are bound together by gravity, with typical masses ranging from 1014 to 1015 solar masses. Clusters consist of galax ...

.''

Career

After getting his doctorate, Nord won a

National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...

(NSF) Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Fellowship, and remained at the University of Michigan to continue his research. In 2012, Nord became a postdoctoral associate at Fermilab, and joined the faculty of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

in 2017. Nord is part of Fermilab's Machine Intelligence Group, which works to apply

Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

to a diverse set of problems in high energy physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. Nord's research focuses on a number of areas in

cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe, the cosmos. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', with the meaning of "a speaking of the wo ...

: he studies novel methods for detecting

gravitational lens A gravitational lens is matter, such as a galaxy cluster, cluster of galaxies or a point particle, that bends light from a distant source as it travels toward an observer. The amount of gravitational lensing is described by Albert Einstein's Ge ...

es, as well as cosmological survey simulation and design. Nord's work has been written about extensively in such outlets as ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

'', ''

Science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

'', ''symmetry'', and others.

Public engagement

In June 2020, in the wake of the

murder of George Floyd On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a c ...

, Nord organized a global "Strike for Black Lives" along with

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (born ) is an American theoretical cosmologist and particle physicist at the University of New Hampshire. She is also an advocate of increasing diversity in science. Early life and education Prescod-Weinstein was bor ...

and the Particles for Justice Group. Nord authored a letter on the Particles for Justice page titled "How Long Should We Wait?" On June 10, the day of the strike, over 4,500 academics pledged participation in the strike. Additionally, numerous organizations including ''

Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

'', the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...

, the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

, and the

American Institute of Physics The American Institute of Physics (AIP) promotes science and the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies. Its corpora ...

supported and/or participated in the strike.

Honors and awards

* AGEP Postdoctoral Fellowship (2010-2012) * University of Michigan Rackham Merit Fellowship (2004-2010) * University of Michigan Marcellus L. Wiedenbeck Teaching Award (2009) * University of Michigan Jerry Soffen Leadership Award (2004) * NASA Academy, Goddard Space Flight Center Trustee Scholarship (2000-2003) * Johns Hopkins University Hess Memorial Scholarship (2000-2003)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nord, Brian Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American astrophysicists People associated with Fermilab University of Michigan alumni Johns Hopkins University alumni University of Chicago faculty Scientists from Wisconsin American cosmologists 21st-century American astronomers 21st-century American physicists