Former Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot to teach at Harvard University in the fall

CHICAGO — Former mayor Lori Lightfoot is headed to Boston in the fall to teach at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, she announced Thursday.

"I've always loved teaching, and the opportunity to get back to it is something I am excited about," Lightfoot said on Twitter. "Looking forward to sharing the experiences and perceptions I learned governing through one of the most challenging times in American history."

Lightfoot will be a Richard L. and Ronay A. Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow and will teach a course in the Health, Policy, and Management Department tentatively called "Health Policy and Leadership," said Harvard T.H. Chan School spokesperson Maya Brownstein. She will hold regular office hours to meet with students, faculty and staff during her time on campus, Brownstein said.

In a statement, Michelle Williams, dean of the school of public health, said she was "delighted" to welcome Lightfoot. "As mayor, she showed strong leadership in advocating for health, equity, and dignity for every resident of Chicago, from her successful drive to raise the minimum wage to her declaration of structural racism as a public health crisis to her innovative initiative to bring mental health services to libraries and shelters," Williams said.

Lightfoot led Chicago amid COVID-19 pandemic, protests

Lightfoot won election in a landslide in 2019, becoming Chicago's first Black woman and first openly gay person to serve as mayor. She oversaw the nation's third-largest city amid the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide racial justice protests.

Opponents criticized Lightfoot for how she handled the pandemic and public safety issues. She lost her bid for reelection after placing third in a February vote, becoming the city's first one-term mayor in 40 years.

Progressive candidate Brandon Johnson, 47, a Cook County Commissioner and union organizer, later beat out the more conservative Paul Vallas, 69, a former city budget director, in a run-off election. Johnson was sworn in as mayor last month.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot to teach at Harvard University in fall