SCRANTON, Pa. (WHTM) – Former U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is joining The University of Scranton as a Leahy Distinguished Fellow in Public Service.

The university said the role will “engage the Scrantonian and three-term senator across several aspects of campus life,” including mentorship with students interested in public service careers.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with and mentor The University of Scranton`s next generation of public servants,” Casey said Tuesday.

Casey served in the U.S. Senate from 2007 until losing his 2024 re-election bid to Dave McCormick by less than a quarter of a percent.

The son of former Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey Sr., Casey Jr. also served as Pennsylvania’s auditor general and treasurer.

“I am truly delighted to welcome Senator Casey to our University. His Jesuit education has served him well for decades and I have no doubt he will continue to bring his Jesuit values to bear in this exciting, new role. I am very grateful to the Senator and the Leahys for making this new initiative possible,” said Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president.

In addition to mentoring students, Casey will advise the Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service on program initiatives, share expertise with regional government entities and assist university administrators with government relations and resource development efforts.

Following his election loss, Casey told abc27’s Dennis Owens, “I have to begin a new chapter in my life” but did not rule out a return to public service.

“You never say never,” he responded. “Our state is full of history, where people are in public office, and they win, they lose, they might even lose multiple times and come back. But I think the most important thing for me in the short run is they have to get a job because I need an income, because I don’t have a trust fund.”

Casey is the only Democrat in Pennsylvania history to win three terms in the Senate.