Lasley Brown, who has a PhD in kinesiology from the University of Waterloo, was most recently the provost and vice-president of academics at Calgary's Mount Royal University, which, like Yukon University, was previously a college.
She has also been a faculty member and administrator at the University of Lethbridge and has served on organizations including the Social Science & Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Alberta Epigenetics Network.
"I'm so honoured to have been appointed as the next president," Brown said in an interview.
"[Yukon University] is so highly regarded throughout the country and I'm looking forward to stepping into the leadership role and stepping into the possibilities that this institution can bring for the region, for the territory and also for Canada, and for helping Canada recognize the importance of the North."
Brown will be filling a seat that's been vacant for nearly a year following the departure of Michael DeGagné, who quit in September 2020 after less than three months on the job.
Maggie Matear, who's usually the university's vice-president of finance and administration, has been serving as interim president.