Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot to join Harvard school of public health as leadership fellow

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will join Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a senior leadership fellow, the school announced Thursday.

Lightfoot will serve as the Richard L. and Ronay A. Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow for next fall's term and teach a course in the in the Health, Policy and Management Department tentatively titled "Health Policy and Leadership."

"I've always loved teaching, and the opportunity to get back to it is something I am really excited about. 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. I look forward to interacting with students who are committed to the public sector, particularly in the area of public health," said Mayor Lightfoot. "I'll share specifics about the way we managed the COVID-19 public health crisis, and we'll delve into how we approached the crisis as an avenue to address long standing public health equity challenges using data and science. I also look forward to being part of the community of scholars, intellectuals and students at such a world class institution."

"I'm delighted to welcome Mayor Lightfoot to Harvard Chan School as a Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow. As mayor, she showed strong leadership in advocating for health, equity, and dignity for every resident of Chicago, from her declaration of structural racism as a public health crisis to her innovative initiative to bring mental health services to libraries and shelters. And of course, she led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic," said Michelle A. Williams, Dean of Faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "The Menschel Fellowship is designed to bring distinguished leaders from government and other sectors to campus to share their experiences with our students. Mayor Lightfoot will have a great many insights to share, and I am certain our students will welcome the opportunity to engage with her."

Other recent fellows include former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, former Boston Mayor Kim Janey, and Roman Macaya, Ph.D., Executive President of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund and Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United States.