Corzine will join Wilson School faculty as visiting fellow

The University’s appointment is one of two positions that Corzine has accepted since losing his bid for re-election in November. MF Global Holdings, a Wall Street options and futures firm, also announced on Tuesday that Corzine is its new CEO, effective immediately.

Corzine, whose Wilson School appointment goes into effect on Sept. 1, 2010, will hold a public lecture series during the fall and teach a graduate course on state and local policy in the spring.

Wilson School Dean Christina Paxson said that inviting Corzine to become a visiting professor was a recent idea, noting that she approached Corzine about three months ago.

“The outcome of the election was not at all certain — there was a good chance he would be governor of New Jersey,” Paxson said.

“I was attracted to having him visit the school because of his expertise in both finance and government,” she added.

Corzine served as governor from 2006 to 2010. During his tenure, he was an ex officio member of the University’s Board of Trustees, a position held by every sitting governor of New Jersey. He also served as a senator from 2001 to 2006.

The fall public lecture series will focus on financial market regulation. “Right now, it’s not set in stone,” Paxson said, but she estimated that there will be around six lectures.

She said that Corzine will bring in speakers to talk about the regulation of financial markets, but hopes that the former governor will give a lecture himself.

“It’s perfect for him because of his experience in finance and government at both the federal and state level,” she explained.

Paxson also said that the course Corzine will teach in the spring will play to his strengths as both governor and senator, adding that they will continue to refine the course’s outline as things move forward.

“He appreciates and understands the complex relationship between federal and state governments,” she said.

Though the course will only be offered to graduate students, Paxson said she hopes that there will be enough room to permit a few undergraduates to take the class.

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Regardless, undergraduates will have opportunities to interact with Corzine during his time at Princeton. Following each lecture, Corzine and the speaker will both attend a dinner, Paxson said, adding that a mix of graduate and undergraduate students would be invited.

Paxson said that the Wilson School has both faculty from academic backgrounds and “faculty like Jon Corzine, who come in with more practical experience.”

“Students can learn not just about serious policy, but how things actually work out in practice,” she added.

Before entering public office, Corzine served as chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. Corzine also served as chairman of a presidential commission under former president Bill Clinton, which researched ways to increase federal investment in schools, infrastructure and technology.

Corzine, who is originally from Illinois, graduated from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign in 1969 and received a master’s in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1973. He also served in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1969 to 1975, attaining the rank of sergeant.