Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) will join the University of Notre Dame faculty as a professor of the practice guest lecturer in political science and economics during the 2019-2020 academic year, the university announced in a newsletter.

“As an Irish Catholic from the Midwest, the University of Notre Dame has always held a special place in my heart,” Ryan said in a university statement. “It is an honor to be part of a University where Catholic principles, robust debates, academic freedoms and diverse viewpoints are allowed to flourish. As much as I hope to impart as a lecturer, I know that I will learn a tremendous amount from Notre Dame’s remarkable students as we discuss the big challenges before our nation and collaborate on how best to address them.”

Notre Dame has "professor of the practice" guest lecturers, like former Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, who have experience working in the senior most levels of the federal government. The idea is to provide students with firsthand knowledge and insights that are difficult to find elsewhere.

“The study of political science is strengthened when students hear from people with real-world policy and political experience,” said David Campbell, Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy and chair of the Department of Political Science at Notre Dame. “Having former officials in the classroom provides important insights for students — an opportunity to put the theories we study to the test.”

Ryan will be provided guest lecturers on:

• The fundamentals of American government.

• Current state of political polarization.

• Catholicism and economics

The former Speaker will also speak at a conference hosted by Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities and the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy.