Tom Ross, former president of the University of North Carolina system, will be a fellow at the Sanford School of Public Policy, the University announced Friday in a press release.
Ross—who was forced to resign by the UNC system's Board of Governors—will be Duke's first Terry Sanford Distinguished Fellow. Through the fellowship, which begins Monday, Ross will work with faculty and students in Sanford and will work with the University's Center for Politics, Leadership, Innovation and Service on a project focused on revamping political district lines in the U.S. He will also deliver a public Terry Sanford Distinguished Lecture.
The fellowship and lecture are both endowed by the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust.
“Tom is one of our state’s most respected academic and civic leaders, and he is the perfect person to lead a project on districting processes across the nation,” said Frederick Mayer, associate dean at Sanford, professor of political science and director of POLIS, in the release.
A graduate of Davidson College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Law School, Ross was president of the UNC system from January 2011 until January 2016. He previously served as the Davidson President and as a North Carolina Superior Court Judge for 17 years.
The Greensboro, N.C., native is still a tenured faculty member at UNC and plans to return to its School of Government after a one-year sabbatical.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to work on important policy issues with the outstanding faculty, staff and students at the Sanford School,” Ross said in the release. “It is particularly meaningful to me to serve as the first Sanford Distinguished Fellow and to be associated with such a great university.”
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