Reinhard Schmidt

Prof. Reinhard Schmidt serves as Professor, Associate Dean, and Dean of Studies for the School of Computer Science and Engineering at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, where he has held faculty positions since 1993. He additionally leads the Multimedia and Virtual Reality Lab and maintains active roles in academic governance including membership on the Academic Affairs Committee.

His educational foundation includes a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg with specialization in multidimensional signal processing and communications systems, followed by doctoral research at the University of Karlsruhe under Prof. Kristian Kroschel focusing on computer vision for autonomous systems.

Prof. Schmidt's research integrates technical and pedagogical domains, with core expertise in Virtual Reality, Multimedia systems, Computer Vision, and IT Security. His educational technology work pioneered ePortfolio implementation to enhance flexible study programs in computer science, specifically addressing challenges in student onboarding and self-directed learning during introductory academic phases.

Analysis of his 2012-2015 publications reveals consistent focus on digital learning infrastructure within engineering education, demonstrating how ePortfolio systems facilitate adaptive curriculum design and student competency tracking in technical disciplines.

Administrative leadership has defined his career trajectory, including tenure as Academic Director for Communications Systems (1998-2007), Vice Dean (2006-2011), and current directorship of the Software Engineering and Media Computing program since 2013.

The Multimedia and Virtual Reality Lab under his direction develops applications spanning computer graphics, security engineering, and virtual environment design, maintaining strong industry connections through partnerships like the Fraunhofer Institute where he conducted sabbatical research on virtual actors.