At least they don't have him teaching ethics courses!

Ex-Gov. Taft takes job at University of Dayton

Gov. Taft a teacher? Why do I feel doubly betrayed? KBB

Thursday, May 31, 2007
By Mark Niquette
The Columbus Dispatch
Former Gov. Bob Taft has a new job.

Taft will launch the Center for Educational Excellence at the University of Dayton to encourage students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to attract research funding on educational policy issues for the center, the university announced today.

He also will serve as a guest lecturer at the university, although those details still are being finalized, university spokeswoman Teri Rizvi said.

It's a two-year appointment starting Aug. 15 with the option of a renewal, the university said. Rizvi declined to disclose Taft's salary, saying the university is a private institution.

Taft, a Cincinnati native, and his wife, former First Lady Hope Taft, will move to the Dayton area this summer, the university said.

''The opportunity to help more students succeed is one of the reasons I ran for governor,'' Taft said in a release. ''It's my passion and was a priority throughout my administration."

Taft, 65, served two terms as governor before leaving office in January. Among the accomplishments he cites are instituting higher education standards and a more rigorous high-school curriculum with more math and science requirements.

"Improving the quality of math and science education is critical to the future of our country," Taft said.

Thomas Lasley, dean of the School of Education and Allied Professions, said in a release, ''As governor, Bob Taft provided significant leadership on education issues and took important strides toward ensuring that Ohio had the conditions necessary for both student and teacher success.

"His initiatives created a solid foundation for much of the very good work that is continuing throughout the state of Ohio under the leadership of Gov. Ted Strickland."

Taft holds a bachelor's degree in English from Yale University, a master's degree in public affairs from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Cincinnati.

He taught English, math, geography and art to children in Tanzania as a Peace Corps volunteer for two years after graduating from college. He was a Hamilton County commissioner, a state legislator and Ohio secretary of state before being elected governor in 1998.

mniquette@dispatch.com