Robert Frosch named Vice Provost for Academic Facilities
Robert J. Frosch, professor of civil engineering, will become vice provost for academic facilities, a newly created position, effective January 9th. In the position, Frosch will work closely with all academic units and the Office of Administrative Operations to advance facilities for faculty and student success.
Frosch joined Purdue in 1997 as an assistant professor of civil engineering. Since then, he has served in several leadership roles, most recently as senior associate dean of facilities and operations in the College of Engineering and executive director of strategic initiatives in the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships. His work has resulted in a master plan for engineering’s facilities, major renovation of numerous buildings and several new buildings on campus including the Flex Lab, the Bechtel Innovation Design Center and the new Dudley Hall and Lambertus Hall.
His research, which focuses on the design and behavior of structural concrete, has resulted in changes to engineering practice and the building codes for both buildings and bridges. He is the recipient of the ACI Building Code Distinguished Service Award, the Concrete Research Council Arthur Boase Award and the ACI Joe Kelly Award.
A Fellow of the American Concrete Institute and American Society of Civil Engineers, Frosch is a licensed Professional Engineer in Indiana and Louisiana. He received his BSE in civil engineering from Tulane University and his MSE and PhD in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.