Rate My Professor Siegbert Schmid

Professor Siegbert Schmid is a Professor in the School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, at the University of Sydney. He earned his PhD and completed his Habilitation at the University of Karlsruhe, Germany. After postdoctoral positions in Sydney, Australia, and Göttingen, Germany, he returned to Karlsruhe as a lecturer before taking up his current role at the University of Sydney. His career encompasses both research in solid-state inorganic chemistry and significant contributions to chemistry education. Schmid serves as Chair of the Chemistry Education & Communication Research theme within the School of Chemistry.

Schmid's research interests include crystallographic characterization using X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques, solid-state chemistry, and the development of advanced materials such as manganese metaphosphate and nickel metaphosphate for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. He has published extensively, including co-authorship of the textbook "Chemistry" (2nd Edition, 2011, with Allan Blackman, Steve Bottle, Mauro Mocerino, and Uta Wille) and editorship of "Aperiodic Crystals" (2013). Key papers include "Refreshable Tactile Displays: A Paradigm Shift for Chemistry Education Experiences of Blind Students Who Read Braille" (Journal of Chemical Education, 2024), "In Situ Neutron Powder Diffraction Using Custom-made Lithium-ion Batteries" (2014), and "Structure and relaxor ferroelectric behavior of the novel tungsten bronze" (Journal of Applied Physics, 2022). In chemistry education, Schmid has pioneered accessible laboratory practices and technologies for blind and low-vision students, including refreshable tactile graphics and virtual reality applications. He has led projects on gradeless assessment, student motivation in STEM, and inclusive lab access. His impact is recognized by the Fensham Medal from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute in 2019 for outstanding contributions to chemistry education. Additional honors include the KIT International Excellence Fellowship (2025-2026). Schmid has delivered lectures at international conferences such as ISLAND 2021 and Pacifichem, and supervises honours projects in chemistry education and materials science.