CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MAY 09: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces that she has declared a state of emergency to help deal with an influx of migrants during a press conference on May 09, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. According to the mayor, 100 to 200 migrants are arriving in the city each day. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is heading to the east coast.
Lightfoot, who served as Mayor of Chicago from May 2019 to May 2023, will join Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health for the Fall 2023 term as a senior leadership fellow, an announcement said Thursday.
According to the announcement, Lightfoot is set to teach a course in the Health, Policy and Management Department called "Health Policy and Leadership."
"I learned a lot over the past four years, and this gives me an opportunity to share my experiences and perceptions of governing through one of the most challenging chapters in American history," a statement from Lightfoot read. The statement added that Lightfoot plans to share in the class how the city of Chicago managed the COVID-19 public health crisis.
According to school officials, Lightfoot will be part of Harvard's Menschel Fellowship, a program meant to "bring distinguished leaders from government and other sectors to campus to share their experiences" with students.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mayor Lightfoot to this program," said Director of Senior Leadership Fellows Program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Eric Anderson. "Among other achievements, she led a successful citywide response to COVID-19, bringing government, business, and community organizations together to safeguard public health and minimize economic impact."
Recent other program fellows include New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Boston Mayor Kim Janey, the announcement says.
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Lightfoot ran for reelection in February of 2023 but lost to Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas, who headed to an April runoff.
Earlier this month, Mayor Johnson was sworn in as the city's 57th mayor.
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