Former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal was recently voted on and appointed to be a Regents Professor by the Georgia Board of Regents beginning on March 1.
Before Deal completed his second and final term in office on the week of Jan. 13, he was appointed to his new title of professor. Deal will give lectures on political science and law at schools in the University System of Georgia for a duration of at least three years.
Deal has been confirmed to teach at the University of Georgia among other public institutions and will focus his occasional lectures on topics pertaining to the fields of political science and law. Other institutions and specifics as to classes and dates have yet to be announced.
The Board of Regents saw potential for great benefit to Georgia’s students from Deal’s knowledge gained through his years in the political and legal arena. By appointing him a Regents professor, the board is offering this unique experience to students across the state.
Kennesaw State professors and those in leadership have expressed positive reactions to this announcement and see great value in a former governor contributing to the education of those that hope to be the future of American politics.
Dr. Andrew Pieper, an associate professor of political science at KSU, commented on the benefit of this arrangement on behalf of the students.
“Nathan Deal would have invaluable insights to share with students who are studying government and policymaking,” Pieper said.
While he also commented on the uncertainty of the specifics in action at the current time, Pieper expressed a lack of surprise at the arrangement as a whole, as it is not unusual in nature for an experienced individual in a field to engage in such an arrangement.
Deal is a graduate of Mercer College for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Upon graduating, Deal went on the serve in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of Captain, before serving as an assistant district attorney, juvenile court judge, and Hall County private practice attorney.
Following his legal career, Deal entered the field of politics as a senator in the Georgia General Assembly. During his tenure of office, he served as president pro-tempore, before running for and being elected as a representative to the One Hundred Third Congress and serving as deputy whip for the House of Representatives for a time.
Deal was then elected as the 82nd Governor of Georgia in November of 2010 and was reelected in 2014, serving a full two terms before swearing in his successor Brian Kemp in January of 2019.
