MEDIA CONTACT:
Deb Maue
Marketing Communications
630-844-7572
dmaue@aurora.edu
AURORA, Ill. (March 5, 2026) – Aurora University named Noralyn Pickens, PhD, OT, FAOTA, FNAP, to the position of dean of the College of Health and Sciences, effective July 1.
Pickens has served since 2022 as associate dean for interprofessional education and strategic initiatives in the College of Health Sciences and the College of Nursing, and as associate dean for faculty affairs in the College of Health Sciences at Texas Woman’s University.
“Dr. Pickens brings a depth of experience in multi-campus health and sciences leadership, research administration and interprofessional education that will strengthen our mission,” said Paaige K. Turner, PhD, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Throughout our search, we hosted open forums with students, faculty and staff, and the feedback was clear: Her collaborative, forward-thinking approach supports our vision for a hybrid campus, providing an accessible learning environment that enables students to balance work and life commitments while learning in the classroom or online.”
As dean, Pickens will be responsible for leading the College of Health and Sciences in advancing health, science and emerging technologies. Her duties will include integrating AI and other innovations into the curriculum, building strategic partnerships and managing the college’s academic portfolio. She will also advance a hybrid model that balances online and in-person learning for modern learners and future employers.
“I am excited to join Aurora University and collaborate with colleagues to support students and advance the university’s priorities,” said Dr. Pickens. “AU’s identity as a private institution with a public purpose resonates strongly with my values and previous work. I look forward to advancing educational opportunity and workforce development at AU, particularly in health care and STEM-related programs.”
At Texas Woman’s University, Pickens oversaw 29 programs across five departments and schools, leading data-informed program optimization and managing accreditation for both established and emerging offerings. She partnered with health care systems, manufacturing firms and technology companies to expand student opportunities and align curricula with workforce needs.
In addition, she managed a large academic portfolio that included more than 138 faculty members, 39 staff and 2,600 students, along with multimillion-dollar budgets, complex scheduling, laboratory and clinical facilities, and research and instructional space planning.
Previously, Pickens served as senior associate director of the School of Occupational Therapy at the Denton campus of Texas Woman’s University and as associate director of the School of Occupational Therapy at the university’s Dallas campus.
Before joining Texas Woman’s University, she worked with several organizations, including St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Milwaukee and St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, Wisconsin. She also served as a clinical associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Pickens is a fellow of the National Academies of Practice and the American Occupational Therapy Association. She was named Academic Educator of the Year by the Texas Occupational Therapy Association.
Pickens earned a doctorate in kinesiology: therapeutic services from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s in educational psychology and a bachelor’s in occupational therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
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ABOUT AURORA UNIVERSITY
Aurora University is a four-year, private, nonprofit, accredited higher education institution offering students an excellent education that will prepare them for success beyond graduation. The university was founded in 1893 in Mendota, Illinois, as a seminary college before moving to Aurora in 1912. Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois, located approximately 45 miles west of Chicago.
Aurora University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university, which was designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2018, enrolls approximately 6,100 degree-seeking students and fields 25 NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic teams.
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