John
Schmidt

MacNav Mobile Application Development

• Rebuilt MacNav from a web app into a native iOS/Android app with React Native, Expo, and TypeScript.
• Set up Google Cloud Functions and Firebase to sync data, update schedules, and pull content from central CMS endpoints.
• Integrated SAML SSO and Google Authentication for secure sign-in with subsite permissions and session controls.
• Built the backend engine and push notification workflow for Extra Eats (v2.7), adding tap-to-zoom images and real-time alerts.
• Designed drawer/tab navigation, NSO orientation portals, custom student schedules, and live building resource displays.
• Managed EAS build pipelines, TestFlight preview builds, app store releases, and TOPdesk bug tickets.

WordPress & Content Infrastructure

• Administer Macalester's WordPress Multisite network of 190+ department and project sites, including www.macalester.edu.
• Convert classic editor themes to Gutenberg blocks with custom PHP, JavaScript, CSS, and ACF.
• Write custom plugins, REST API endpoints, and XML importers to migrate legacy Python/Django tools (Mac in the News, OSRC showcase) to Webapps5.
• Configure Cloudflare CDN, LiteSpeed Cache, and miniOrange SAML for site performance and secure campus access.
• Standardize repo structures with GitHub Actions CI/CD, run PR code reviews, and mentor peer developers.

Academic Projects & Systems Automation

• Partnered with the Office of Student Research and Creativity (OSRC) to build and manage the digital platform for the Academic Summer Showcase.
• Built custom WordPress plugins, XML export tools, and Google Sheet-to-WordPress sync scripts to import and archive student research abstracts, media, and faculty mentorship records.