Rachel Moorehead, executive director of UAB IT’s infrastructure and operations team, was recently highlighted in a list of the top 25 women tech innovators in Alabama, published in Business Alabama magazine.
For Moorehead, her initial career path took a detour thanks to a job she held in college.
“I didn’t think I would end up in technology,” Moorehead said. “I had my mind set on going in to government relations until I landed a job at my university’s help desk during undergrad.”
From there, she jumped headfirst into the tech world. Moorehead received her bachelor's degree in computer science, along with adding additional certificates to boost her knowledge and work on projects that require all hands-on deck. Being able to see her work directly impacting the community cemented her foothold in the IT world.
“It's that continuous learning and problem-solving aspect that has kept me engaged and passionate about the field,” Moorehead said.
At UAB, Rachel leads a team that works behind the scenes to make sure technology infrastructure is running as smoothly as possible. Between updating hardware in the data center to ensuring the digital ecosystem is up to date and supporting communication and collaboration campus-wide, she finds time to fit in fun projects.
“One of the most rewarding projects at UAB has been the significant upgrade of our core data center infrastructure,” she said. “We were facing challenges with heating and cooling a large purpose-built data center that supported a lot of dedicated hardware systems. This project involved modernizing our virtualization infrastructure approach, preparing legacy hardware for migrations, and designing a flexible data center that could grow and adapt with the organization over the next 20 years."
With Rachel’s guidance, teams from UAB IT and across the university worked together to create a new ecosystem. Updating the data center not only improved system uptime but also created a scalable foundation for future technological advancements, including AI initiatives.
“Seeing the positive impact this had on our researchers, clinicians, and students was incredibly gratifying,” Moorehead said. “As a leader, I always hope for outcomes like this. I enjoy working with my team, and, when it comes to projects like this, it is important to keep open communication. I make sure we have weekly check ins, and that we always go back to the core value of our goals — UAB.”
As AI becomes more prominent, Moorehead's role on campus is pivotal. While ensuring that infrastructure is secure and scalable, she also juggles making sure researchers and those working with these tools are getting the most of what they need.
“Ultimately, my part is to be the strategic enabler, providing the backbone upon which UAB can leverage the power of AI to advance its mission in research, education, and patient care,” Moorehead said.
Moorehead has some advice for those looking to join the ranks as future tech professionals. Besides having strong analytical skills and a passion for learning, remember the “why” of it all.
“Don’t just focus on the technical ‘how,’ but also the ‘why,’” she said. “When you take time to understand how infrastructure supports business and organizational goals, it makes you a better contributor.”