Public Sector Growth and Transformation: Innovating During Periods of Uncertainty and Change

MITCIO
Viji Murali
VP, Information Services & CIO
Washington State University (WSU)

Ms. Viji Murali is Vice President for Information Services and CIO at Washington State University (WSU) and joined WSU August of 2007. She is responsible for Academic and Administrative computing, convergent technologies (telecommunications, wired and wireless networks, VoIP, video), distance learning technologies as well as strategic planning and policy development for the IT enterprise.

She was previously Vice President for Information Technology and CIO at Western Michigan University (WMU) for eight years. During her tenure at WMU major initiatives were launched for faculty such as the Laptop Initiative, Teaching with Technology grants, and Internet2 grants. In January, 2002 WMU became the largest public research university to be completely wireless. This implementation was profiled as one example of best practices by Gartner Inc, EDUCAUSE, and Cisco. In 2003 Intel rated WMU eighth most "unwired campus" and in 2005 Intel rated WMU number two "most wired". In 2002/2003 WMU partnered with California State University at Monterey Bay (CSUMB) to obtain federal funding for two initiatives, a) research in wireless technologies b) creation of a Wireless Institute. In 2004 WMU obtained funding for a federal grant for the College of Health and Human Services for a "Wireless Technologies in Health Care" initiative. Ms. Murali was the project champion for a new student information system that was successfully completed in 2006 as well as SUN's JES suite of products that includes SUN's identity management solution. Prior to WMU she was at the University of Arizona for twelve years in various administrative positions.