Stacey Abrams joins Howard faculty

Stacey Abrams is joining the faculty at Howard University, adding to the school's hot streak of high-profile hires.

Driving the news: The former Georgia gubernatorial candidate will be the inaugural Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics.

• In 2021, the historically Black college added Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehisi Coates to its faculty, bolstering its position as the nation's center for Black academic thought.

The big picture: Howard has seen a turnaround from reports of financial troubles during the 2010s to recent advancements in research.

• The Defense Department and Air Force awarded the school a $90 million contract to serve as a research center, the school announced in January.