The Eileen Panigeo MacLean Inupiat House is a family-style residential facility designed to help rural students make the transition to a larger community and adjust to campus life. The apartments were built through a partnership between UAF and the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. and provide housing for up to 25 students from rural Alaska. The facility includes residences, a common lodge area, an apartment for visiting parents, a computer lab and laundry facilities. A large kitchen and freezer allows students to receive and prepare traditional foods.

Eileen Panigeo MacLean was a former state representative and a UAF alumna. After receiving her bachelor's degree in elementary education from UAF in 1975, MacLean began a career of teaching in rural Alaska and performing community service throughout the state.