Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, whose second and final term in office ends next week, will soon have a new title: Professor.

The state’s Board of Regents voted Wednesday to appoint Deal as a Regents Professor. Deal will hold occasional lectures at the University of Georgia and other schools in the University System of Georgia, effective March 1 for at least three years.

Deal pitched the idea. He wants to lecture to undergraduate students, focusing on political science and law.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to learn from a former governor,” said University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley.

Deal’s salary will be about $120,000 a year, Wrigley said.

Deal also plans to start a lobbying and consulting firm with his longtime chief of staff, Chris Riley.

About the Author

Keep Reading

HBCUs nationally will get $438 million, according to the UNCF, previously known as the United Negro College Fund. Georgia has 10 historically Black colleges and universities. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT