Five new professors are helping to shape the future  

As part of a small ceremony marking the start of the winter semester, Hochschule Offenburg introduced the five new professors who were appointed at the beginning of 2026 to help shape the future. It became clear that all of them bring a high level of professional expertise, extensive practical experience from renowned companies and institutions, and an enormous enthusiasm for teaching. At the same time, the university bid farewell to several long-serving professors, though only one of them was able to attend.

“You have shaped generations of media students,” said Rector Prof. Dr. Stephan Trahasch, addressing the retiring Prof. Dr. Roland Riempp. A native of Upper Swabia, he himself had studied media technology at the Stuttgart University of the Arts and subsequently begun a Ph.D. in psychology at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. While he was still working on his dissertation, the now 67-year-old was appointed as a visiting professor of media technology at Hochschule Offenburg and helped establish the audio and video studios as well as the then-new degree program in Media and Information Studies—now known as Medien und Kommunikation. After completing his doctorate, he served as a professor of media integration in Offenburg.

Roland Riempp is now being succeeded by Prof. Dr. Jessica Sehrt-Zdravkovski, who will assume her professorship in Media Technology and Media Design in Offenburg on October 1. Sehrt completed a diploma program in Electronic Media at the Hochschule Offenburg and underwent further training as a software developer. A former master’s student at the Städelschule in Frankfurt, she earned her Ph.D. in media informatics—with a focus on body-worn sensors and multimodal biofeedback—at the University of Regensburg. Most recently, she served as an adjunct professor of Human-Computer Interaction at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.

Her four male colleagues have been at Hochschule Offenburg since March and were once again officially welcomed during the ceremony.

Prof. Dr. Daniel Hepperle is a professor of Augmented Reality Development. He earned his bachelor's degree in Online Media and his master's degree in Interactive Media Design—for which he received the Aesculap Award—at Furtwangen University, and founded his own company while still a student. In 2025, he completed his doctorate at the University of Hohenheim on the topic “Exploring the Potential of Immersive Virtual Reality for Social Science Research,” graduating summa cum laude.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Jilg holds the chair in Digital Process Technology and Product Sustainability. After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in Maschinenbau at Hochschule Offenburg, he received his Ph.D. magna cum laude from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg. Through the HaW-PROAKtif Early-Career Professorship Program, Jilg ultimately gained sufficient professional and teaching experience for his professorship at Hochschule Offenburg and at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials in Freiburg.

Prof. Dr. Stephan Schmidt-Tank is a professor of general business administration and international management. After earning his doctorate at the private, state-recognized European business school ESCP in Paris, Oxford, and Berlin, Stephan Schmidt-Tank worked for more than ten years as a consultant and nearly 15 years in senior management positions in Hong Kong, London, Johannesburg, and Germany—including at McKinsey & Company, Barclays, and Amazon Web Services. Starting in 2025, he gained teaching experience at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Stuttgart, the ESCP University in Berlin, and the London Business School.

Prof. Dr. Jonas Weigert holds the Nagarro Endowed Chair in Digital Public Management. He studied mathematics and physical education with a focus on teacher training at the University of Regensburg and earned his bachelor's degree in economics, his master's degree in business education, and his Ph.D.—with a focus on business intelligence, machine learning, and learning analytics—summa cum laude from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg. This was followed by his first teaching experiences and a stint as a Senior IT and Managing Consultant at PRODATO Integration Technology GmbH.

There have also been changes among the staff. Chancellor Bülent Tarkan personally bid farewell to Ira Pawlowski, the long-time head of international research coordination and the entire Campus Research and Transfer (CRT) division, and to Charlotte Brenn, a research assistant in the HaW-PROAKtif project for recruiting faculty members. He then welcomed numerous new colleagues.

After the celebration, which featured musical performances by the “Gelbe Vogel” band—composed of university faculty and staff—the “newcomers” and “departing colleagues” exchanged experiences at length over finger food and drinks.

List of newly appointed professors

· Prof. Dr. Daniel Hepperle (Chair of Augmented Reality Development)

· Prof. Dr. Andreas Jilg (Chair of Digital Process Technology and Product Sustainability)

· Prof. Dr. Stephan Schmidt-Tank (Chair of General Business Administration, with a focus on International Management)

· Prof. Dr. Jessica Sehrt-Zdravkovski (Chair of Media Technology and Media Design, with a focus on media in public spaces)

· Prof. Dr. Jonas Weigert (Nagarro Endowed Chair in Digital Public Management)

List of Professors Who Have Retired

· Prof. Sabine Hirtes (Chair of Audiovisual Post-Production and Visual Effects, 2010–2026)

· Prof. Dr. Ralf Lankau (Chair of Media Design, Graphic Design, Print Layout, Screen and Web Design, and Design of Interactive Processes, 2002–2026)

· Prof. Dr. Roland Riempp (Chair of Media Integration, 1997–2026)

· Prof. Dr. Andreas Schneider (Chair of Fluid Power Machinery, 2019–2026)