![[Photo of Viji Murali]](fullpics/murali.jpg)
Viji
Murali
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO, Western Michigan University
Ms. Viji Murali became
Western Michigan University's first Vice
President for Information Technology
and CIO on November 3, 1999. Ms. Murali is a computer specialist with a research
background in organic chemistry and has the right combination of experience,
vision, service orientation and technical background needed for this new role.
She also brings a unique sensitivity to the needs and culture of a nationally
recognized student-centered, research-extensive institution with an enrollment
of 27,000.
Murali, who also serves
as the University's Chief Information Officer, is a member of the President's
leadership team and advocates for the development and use of technologies
that will help WMU fulfill its teaching, research and service missions. As
Vice President, Murali oversees academic and administrative computing, networking
systems, distance learning technologies and telecommunications. She oversaw
a successful transition to Y2K.
Ms. Murali began her
career at the University of Arizona-Tucson, one of the top 20 research institutions
in the nation, in 1987 and spent 12+ years in various positions. Those areas
included management of Arizona's administrative and academic systems as well
as its data center and customer support center; manager of systems programming
in the Computer Center and initially as a systems programmer in the Center
and as a research assistant in the university's College of Education.
A native of India, Ms.
Murali has three earned degrees. A Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry,
1975; Master of Science in Organic Chemistry, 1977 both from Osmania University
in India and spent 4 years doing graduate research work in organic chemistry
before moving to the United States in 1981. She spent 2 years, from 1981 to
1983, taking 30 units of undergraduate courses in computer science in preparation
for obtaining a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University
of Arizona-Tucson which she earned in 1987.
Ms. Murali is active
in a number of national and local organizations including EDUCAUSE, where
she is on the program committee for SAC-2001, will be chairing the technical
track during 2001 and is the institutional representative to EDUCAUSE and
Internet2. She is also a member of Regional EDGE and is on the Board of Directors
of MERIT, as well as its treasurer. She continues to write, present and speak
professionally and is routinely consulted with by venture capitalists and
other areas of the corporate world on technology trends.
