Former FBI director James Comey has joined Howard University as a guest lecturer, his first high-profile appointment since he was abruptly fired in May by President Donald Trump.
Earlier this month, Comey reached a multimillion-dollar book deal with publisher Flatiron Books to write a book on leadership.
Howard University said Wednesday it appointed Comey as this year’s keynote speaker for the opening convocation that kicks off the academic year and welcomes students to the historically black university. The opening convocation is scheduled for September 22.
Comey has also been named the 2017-2018 Gwendolyn S. And Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy. While holding the King Chair, Comey will lead five lectures featuring speakers. The lectures are designed to “foster fruitful discussion and spur meaningful interaction,” according to the university.
Comey has donated the $100,000 salary that comes with holding the King’s Chair role to a Howard University scholarship fund. The King Chair, established in 2008 by government and business leader Gwendolyn S. King and her husband, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Colbert I. King, is designed to give students access to experienced, senior public service executives who developed public policy initiatives.
“His expertise and understanding of the challenges we continue to face today will go a long way in sparking rich discussion and advancing meaningful debates across campus,” Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick said in a statement.
Comey was fired in May as he was investigating whether Trump’s campaign had ties to Russia’s election meddling. Robert Mueller, a former FBI chief, was named in May as special counsel to lead the federal probe.