| Johanna Pirker | |
| Birth Place: | Graz, Austria |
| Nationality: | Austrian |
| Alma Mater: | Graz University of Technology |
| Known For: | Virtual Reality, Games Research |
| Website: | Johanna Pirker |
| Field: | Virtual realityHuman-Computer Interaction |
| Work Institution: | Graz University of TechnologyUniversity of MunichMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyETH Zurich |
| Prizes: | Forbes 30 Under 30,[1] Hedy Lamarr Award 2021 |
Johanna Pirker (born June 26, 1988) is an Austrian computer scientist, educator, and game designer at Graz University of Technology and professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich with a focus on games research, virtual reality and data science. Pirker was listed on the Forbes 30 under 30 Europe list in the category Science & Healthcare (2018) for her efforts in improving digital education with virtual reality environments and games.[2] She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science.[3] Her dissertation was supervised by the Austrian e-learning expert Christian Gütl and MIT professor of physics John Winston Belcher. She is involved in various efforts to educate about the potential of video games.[4] This also includes efforts to advocate the background and cultural aspect of video games.[5] In 2020 she received the Käthe-Leichter Prize for her efforts for her initiatives in the field of diversity in engineering and in the games industry.[6] [7] In 2021 she received the Hedy Lamarr Prize.
In 2022, she was nominated as a member of the founding convention of the Institute of Digital Sciences Austria (IDSA), which is involved in the establishment of the new Technical University in Linz.[8]
Since 2024, she has been a member of the Austrian Council for Research, Science, Innovation, and Technology Development (FORWIT).[9]
Pirker received multiple awards including a listing on the Forbes 30 under 30 Europe list for her research and development efforts in the field of virtual reality for learning applications.