Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa (she/her) has been an active practitioner, educator and consultant in the field of cultural heritage preservation for over 30 years. From 1985 to 1987 she was project archivist (supported by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission) at The Johns Hopkins University Peabody Institute. In August 1988 she was hired as the first preservation officer for the University of Texas at Austin General Libraries, and in 1996 became the first Digital Programs Librarian for the Libraries. Ellen was the founding director of the William and Margaret Kilgarlin Center for Preservation of the Cultural Record, a position she held from 2005-09 in the University of Texas at Austin School of Information. During her nine-year tenure in the School of Information, 2000-09, she taught courses in digitization and preservation management, advised and mentored students pursuing Certificates of Advanced Study in preservation administration and conservation, served on doctoral committees, and spearheaded collaborative educational initiatives. She served as president of the Association of North American Graduate Programs in Conservation from 2005 through 2009. 

In 2015, Ellen became Associate Director and Head of Preservation and Conservation at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. In 2016 she was awarded the American Library Association’s Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Award in Preservation. In 2022 Ellen received the Publication award from the American Institute for Conservation for Mooring a Field: Paul N. Banks and the Education of Library and Archives Conservators (The Legacy Press, 2019).​ Ellen holds the PhD in American Studies and an MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin. She received an Endorsement of Specialization in Administration of Preservation Programs for Libraries and Archives from Columbia University’s School of Library Service.