Dr. James Norman

Pilot
The University of North Dakota,
John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences

James Norman is an A-330 pilot for a U.S. airline and holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Sciences from the University of North Dakota, where he serves as adjunct faculty.  His Ph.D. research focused on voluntary reporting (ASAP) and the factors that both promote or discourage frontline employees in choosing to report.  His current research focuses on Safety-II (which recognizes human deviation as an emergent property of complex systems), and resilience engineering (designing and managing systems to adapt and thrive amid novel challenges).

Norman is a three-time recipient of his airline’s Award for Excellence, a NASA Space Grant Consortium recipient, and the 2022 Mosby Award winner (given by industry dispatchers for contributions in support of aviation safety).  He is currently a Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) Gatekeeper for his airline, as well as a mentor pilot.

He is active with a number of international organizations, including the Flight Safety Foundation, Royal Aeronautical Society, Resilience Engineering Association (REA), and EUROCONTROL.  He is also a reviewer of peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.  He recently served as guest editor for  REA's newsletter, focusing on learning systems for resilience in aviation.