.Creating Community Through Housing: Celebrating Impact and Building the Future
Student Life celebrated the retirement of Barb Frazee, assistant vice provost for Student Life, who dedicated 43 years of service to Purdue University. After a national search, John Eckman was named the new assistant vice provost in July 2024.
Frazee spent her entire career at Purdue within the realm of housing and food services. Her dedication to the university dates to her time as a student, when she served as a hall club officer and worked in dining services. She rose through the ranks of what was then known as Housing and Food Services before being named executive director of University Residences in 2006 and assistant vice provost in 2019. She continued to lead University Residences and Dining & Culinary through her retirement.
As executive director, Frazee initiated several keynote programs that promote self-discovery and growth for students living in University Residences. In 2010, she co-founded UR Global, which supports first-year international students as they transition to life at Purdue. She also spearheaded the launch of the Women’s Leadership Series to provide opportunities for women students to develop as leaders. A Men’s Leadership Series was later added. The series provide opportunities for participants to network and connect with professional mentors, including faculty, staff and alumni, and like-minded peers while exploring the topic of leadership.
The most unique program initiated by Frazee is the Executive in Residence (EiR) program, which brings successful Purdue alumni executives to campus to live for a week. Each executive’s visit provides students with opportunities to interact with executives around their areas of expertise and interests. From its first participant, EiR has grown to include a learning community, student ambassador program, live-in Executive in Residence and spring break trip, where students travel to visit executives in their homes and workplaces. The program celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024.
In recognition of her leadership and vision, the Barbara Jean Frazee Endowment for Executive in Residence will ensure a strong future for the program. The endowment was made possible through the generous contributions of David and Joan Clifton, and Emily and David Liggett. The funds contributed to the endowment will support all aspects of the program and ensure its success long into the future.
Frazee received numerous accolades for her service to the university, include being named one of only a few non-faculty members to receive the Violet Haas Award, which recognizes individuals, programs and departments at Purdue that promote the advancement of women at the university. She was also honored with the Student Life Service Award from the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life, Helen B. Schleman Medallion from the Barbara Cook Chapter of Mortar Board and the Special Boilermaker Award from the Purdue Alumni Association (now Purdue for Life Foundation).
Eckman has succeeded Frazee in overseeing University Residences and Dining & Culinary, furthering the departments’ endeavors to offer numerous leadership development programs, student employment opportunities, clubs, programs and more. These two operations now house more than 17,000 residents and serve more than 5 million meals per school year on the West Lafayette campus. This fall, Eckman led University Residences through the successful move-in of approximately 800 students on the Indianapolis campus.
Eckman is leading both organizations into the future by expanding on-campus residential opportunities for students on the West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses. On the West Lafayette campus, a new apartment community will open in fall 2025, followed by a residence hall in 2026. These new projects will contribute to a 35 percent increase in on-campus beds. On the Indianapolis campus, the full lease of an apartment community will increase University Residences’ housing capacity to more than 1,100 residents. Eckman has also spearheaded the implementation of University Residences’ new reapplication system for returning residents.
Prior to joining Purdue, Eckman most recently served as associate vice chancellor for campus services at Appalachian State University where he oversaw a broad spectrum of services, including dining, parking, the campus store, conference services and more. He has extensive experience in housing and activities at the University of Pennsylvania, Portland State University, Southern Oregon University, New York University and the University of Connecticut. Eckman holds a Master of Education in College Student Personnel Administration from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Science in Planning, Public Policy and Management from the University of Oregon.