Aurora College has appointed its former vice-president of education and training to take over as interim president from May after Angela James resigned.
James stepped down in mid-March in a move characterized as a retirement from the role.
Nora Houlahan will become the interim president from May 4, the college said in a statement on Thursday. Until then, Heather McCagg-Nystrom continues as acting president.
A timeline for a permanent appointment to the role was not given.
Houlahan left Aurora College last summer to become a principal of Yorkville University, a private for-profit university.
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“It is an honour to step in to this role,” she was quoted as saying of her return.
“As co-chair for the creation of the college’s current strategic plan, I heard first-hand of the importance of the college in the lives of people across the territory and am deeply committed to the vision of a university in the North and for the North.
“I am inspired by the dedication and passion of the college’s employees in bringing high-quality education and research opportunities grounded in northern ways of knowing, being, and doing. This is an exciting time for the NWT and I look forward to providing stability during this transition period in the interim role.”
Correction: March 27, 2026 – 10:00 MT. This article initially stated Nora Houlahan worked as the principal of Yorkville University in Ontario. In fact, while Toronto is described by Yorkville as its “central campus,” the university operates with multiple principals in different locations. Houlahan was the principal and vice-president academic for British Columbia.
