Company: Saint Louis University
Company Description: Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Innovator of the Year – Government or Non-Profit –More Than 2,500 Employees
 Nomination Title: Shruthi Sreenivasa Murthy - Assistant Director - Research Computing | Cloud Evangelist
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2022 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
I believe I should be nominated for Female Innovator of the Year due to my significant contributions to cloud computing and research infrastructure at Saint Louis University. As the first to lead the cloud computing initiatives for the Research Computing Division, I have successfully transitioned multiple research projects to the cloud, enabling more efficient data analysis, reducing costs, and accelerating the pace of research.
My innovative solutions, such as creating secure, HIPAA-compliant data pipelines and optimizing cloud resources, have made cloud computing more accessible and affordable for researchers. These efforts have been instrumental in enhancing researchers' ability to conduct groundbreaking work, as recognized by the prestigious AWS Education Champion award.
Moreover, I have demonstrated exceptional leadership and advocacy, earning the trust of researchers across diverse fields by simplifying complex technologies and making them approachable. My contributions have not only transformed the research capabilities at Saint Louis University but also set a benchmark for cloud innovation in the public sector.
Winning this award would further validate the impact of my work and inspire other women in technology to pursue innovative solutions and leadership roles in their fields.
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 176 words used
Saint Louis University is a premier research university, and I was the first to lead the cloud computing initiatives for the Research Computing Division. In almost five years, I have successfully helped several researchers transition to the cloud, enabling more efficient data analysis, reduced costs, and accelerated research.
When I first took over the cloud initiatives, researchers were reluctant because their expertise lay in fields such as Molecular Biology, Economic Research, and Medicine. They hesitated to put their work on the cloud. I took on the role of an evangelist, helping them understand the benefits, gaining their trust, and assisting with the transition. Researchers appreciate me because I don't flaunt my technical expertise or use jargon that might intimidate them. This approachable attitude is why researchers value my assistance.
I not only helped them move their projects to the cloud, but I also innovated solutions to reduce costs for many research projects. By optimizing cloud resources and implementing cost-effective strategies, I have made cloud computing more accessible and affordable, enhancing researchers' ability to conduct groundbreaking work.
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
- First to lead the cloud computing initiatives for the Research Computing Division at Saint Louis University, successfully transitioning multiple research projects to the cloud.
- Enabled more efficient data analysis, reduced costs, and accelerated the pace of research through innovative cloud solutions.
- Developed secure, HIPAA-compliant data pipelines and optimized cloud resources to make cloud computing more accessible and affordable for researchers.
- Awarded the prestigious AWS Education Champion award for significant contributions to cloud innovation in the public sector.
- Earned the trust of researchers across diverse fields by simplifying complex technologies and making them approachable, demonstrating exceptional leadership and advocacy.
- Set a benchmark for cloud innovation in the public sector, transforming the research capabilities at Saint Louis University and inspiring others in the field.
- Neonatal Care for SSM Medical and SLU Medical College: Reduced researchers' workload by facilitating their transition to cloud-based systems.
- Sinquefield Economic Research: Automated processing of large datasets, significantly improving researcher productivity. Read more here.|
- Big Data Accessibility: Made big data accessible in the cloud for researchers, enabling better data management and analysis. Read more here.
- Open Microscopy Project: Migrated the Open Microscopy Environment (OMERO) project to the cloud, a first-of-its-kind initiative. Read more here.
- Invited to present to the top 100 CIOs and VPs at Stanford in April 2024, an invite-only event showcasing leading innovations and best practices in cloud computing and research infrastructure.
- To create more talents, I Conduct cloud workshops and hackathons, inviting students from various universities including WashU, and served as a judge for events.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
The easiest way to differentiate my achievements and explain why I am unique is by sharing the names of the other CIOs and VPs who also received the award. Just to give you an idea of some of the other names: Dan Alig - Chief Information Officer, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Sarah Christen - Director of Infrastructure, Cornell University; and Robert L. Grossman - Chief Research Informatics Officer, University of Chicago. The AWS Champion award is typically reserved for CIO and VP-level professionals, making me one of the youngest recipients. This award highlights my exceptional contributions and expertise in cloud computing.
Unlike others who have built their careers over decades, I quickly rose through the ranks in a relatively short time, despite moving from a different country. I have been in the US only since 2017.
I have led significant projects such as deploying OMERO on AWS for microscopy services, building HIPAA-compliant data pipelines, and developing geospatial data repositories using AWS EMR serverless. These projects have substantially impacted research efficiency and data processing. As part of the Research Computing Group at SLU, I have been instrumental in providing scalable cloud infrastructure solutions and supporting research endeavors efficiently.
My accomplishments have been achieved at a younger age compared to other executives in higher education institutions, underscoring my exceptional talent and dedication to research computing and cloud infrastructure.
By focusing on these aspects, I believe my journey stands out uniquely compared to those with more years of experience.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 122 words used.
List of Evidence.
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AWS Award link
https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/publicsector/celebrating-the-2024-aws-champions-trailblazers-transforming-communities-through-the-cloud/
2) Internet links talking about my work. It is not easy to get featured in these websites without your work is significant
a)https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/publicsector/st-louis-university-uses-aws-to-make-big-data-accessible-for-researchers/
b)https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/apn/saint-louis-university-improves-researcher-productivity-by-automating-processing-of-large-datasets/
c)https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/architecture/manage-your-digital-microscopy-data-using-omero-on-aws/
3) Internet2 is a prestigious group and membership in this community is only by invitation.
https://internet2.edu/2024-internet2-community-exchange/2024-community-exchange-program/commex24-abstracts/#rearchitectingthecloudwithguardrails
https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcuUfbBwe_hbPFkdeqhby6V_-C9iaqDqOutlagVIw5elQMBHcZuGSo-Ot9tww2i3OXqqhteiexFma29FsM8INM9yTif0yKjpU1_Vv0sXpcq8aUrp7vW-FwAbSM2YveqIHVZbJRLZU88JbQwV2K5l_MpO9cH?key=ZKHdvKzEmxX22jcv_GCEbQ
4) Invited for another presentation - Here is the evidence.
https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdUhcBGoIpHhn_qKBuV9QfAEmh4vG0eOoH4VFU4ztlK9sDW8hBwSV9m_jWFZr15Zr-mNWLn8zOWg-omjoHGElJTqV_tLBhskI2_wVHzyUMXVrh3W-e9vLxQsEQlK9auQaV6NlmHOoaDnchqmwZOAJO3c-M?key=ZKHdvKzEmxX22jcv_GCEbQ
5) Proof of me speaking at Stanford and the photograph
https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcuGmMNeIT41T2wxEXAjUiqYHUDBaCG4EGJdGAfUYniYaxAfR6cddMCNyu2cvzqLyRfpkkuSjtT-OhmCmCeUylj2sj9UM4rWur7qT2VG9ZeQj0BUA_2cLGLKpCS0crSndpXw68tbARpXR1Yv5Zgb6K5uGvp?key=ZKHdvKzEmxX22jcv_GCEbQ
https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdDUYz0w7ei41QfTL9w46x_TKn8OtrfjX06hLFwQPvLb2_tdh1qtY_pnH_wi7hrWcIFKVhA2v4oQ10046hPBrfOYF9jmKw2gGtu8atiZ9n9UX7DU0pgLD_k-XwXrT1bMq9A81OGZ7EGEguNM_4SE9taFsir?key=ZKHdvKzEmxX22jcv_GCEbQ
6 ) I was invited by Silicon Angle a major media as a guest speaker in 2021.
https://siliconangle.com/2021/09/22/saint-louis-university-turns-montycloud-automated-cloud-data-governance-awsq3/">https://siliconangle.com/2021/09/22/saint-louis-university-turns-montycloud-automated-cloud-data-governance-awsq3/
7) Proof of me conducting cloud workshops and hackathons to encourage people to learn about the cloud and create job opportunities.
https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeqFmbQAHAydVXT2KHsNq2Lw..." style="height:663px; margin-left:0px; margin-top:0px; width:383px" />
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