# Thomas Ritz

> German computer scientist, economist, and rector of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences

**Wikidata**: [Q135647353](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q135647353)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/thomas-ritz

## Summary
Thomas Ritz is a German computer scientist, economist, and university teacher who serves as rector of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences. He is known for academic leadership in higher education and holds national and international authority identifiers (GND, VIAF).

## Biography
- Born: 1971, Bedburg
- Nationality: Germany
- Known for: Serving as rector of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences and work as a computer scientist and university teacher
- Employer(s): Aachen University of Applied Sciences (position held: rector)
- Field(s): Computer science; economics; higher education administration

## Contributions
The provided source material documents Thomas Ritz primarily through his academic and administrative roles rather than specific technical products or publications. Concretely, he has held the position of rector at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences, a senior leadership role that places him responsible for the overall academic and administrative direction of that institution. He is identified in library and authority databases, including GND (1036740153) and VIAF (304063414), which indicates the presence of a public bibliographic and identity record for his professional work. The source material lists him as a university teacher and computer scientist, and describes him as an economist, signalling an interdisciplinary profile across computer science, economics, and higher education. The available record does not list specific papers, patents, companies founded, open-source projects, or named standards. Therefore the verifiable concrete outcomes in the provided material are his roles in university teaching and governance, and his presence in national and international authority files that support retrieval and citation of his academic record.

## FAQs
### Q: Who is Thomas Ritz?
A: Thomas Ritz is a German computer scientist, economist, and university teacher who serves as rector of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences.

### Q: When and where was Thomas Ritz born?
A: He was born in 1971 in Bedburg, Germany.

### Q: What is Thomas Ritz's current role?
A: He holds the position of rector at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences.

## Why They Matter
Thomas Ritz matters within the context of German higher education because he combines disciplinary expertise in computer science and economics with senior university leadership. As rector of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences, he occupies a role that shapes institutional strategy, academic priorities, and the learning environment for students and staff. His presence in authority records such as GND and VIAF indicates a traceable academic footprint that supports discoverability and attribution of his work within library and research infrastructures. While the provided material does not list specific research outputs or entrepreneurial activities, the combination of being a university teacher, a computer scientist, an economist, and a rector implies influence across teaching, curricular design, and institutional governance. Without his leadership role at a major applied sciences university, decisions about program emphasis, institutional partnerships, and administrative priorities at that institution would fall to other leaders; his interdisciplinary profile suggests he brings technical and economic perspectives to those decisions, affecting how the institution prepares graduates for practice and industry engagement.

## Notable For
- Serving as rector of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences (position held).
- Identified as a German computer scientist, economist, and university teacher.
- Born in 1971 in Bedburg, Germany.
- Listed in national and international authority files: GND 1036740153 and VIAF 304063414.
- German-language Wikipedia presence (wikidata indicates German-language entry).

## Body

### Personal details
- Name: Thomas Ritz.
- Sex/gender: Male.
- Birth year and place: 1971, Bedburg.
- Languages: German (spoken, written, or signed as listed).

### Professional identity
- Occupations recorded: University teacher; computer scientist.
- Additional descriptor: Economist (as given in the wikidata description).
- Primary institutional role: Rector of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences.

### Positions and roles
- Rector: The source lists "position_held: rector" and identifies the institution as the Aachen University of Applied Sciences.
- University teacher: Recorded occupation indicating teaching responsibilities at higher education level.
- Computer scientist: Recorded professional classification signifying work or study in computer science.

### Authority and bibliographic identifiers
- GND (German National Library authority file): 1036740153.
- VIAF (Virtual International Authority File): 304063414.
- DDB person (GND) id: 1036740153.
- Wikidata description: "German computer scientist, economist, and rector of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences."
- Wikipedia languages: de (German).

### Public record limits
- The provided source material does not include titles or dates of publications, patents, companies founded, specific projects, awards, or educational institutions attended.
- The verifiable facts in the source are limited to biographical identifiers, occupational roles, and the rectorate at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File