Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will join the faculty at the University of Michigan in the fall to “encourage and equip students for careers in public service,” according to a news release.

Lightfoot, a Democrat, served as mayor of Chicago from 2019 to 2023 – when she became the first in 40 years to lose re-election. She faced criticism for her actions related to COVID-19 as well as her refusal to give exclusive interviews to white journalists.

At the University of Michigan, Lightfoot will serve as a visiting professor in the Ford School of Public Policy in the fall. The decision to hire her is part of an “effort to encourage and equip students for careers in public service and policy,” according to the university.

She is slated to co-teach a class on strategic public policy consulting with Professor Jeffrey Morenoff, the release states.

“The course will pair graduate students with social impact not-for-profit organizations in Chicago and Michigan to solve challenges those groups are facing in the delivery of services in their respective communities,” according to the release.