The University of Southern California announced Monday that retiring Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters will lead its Center for the Political Future after he departs the halls of Congress next year.

Peters, who has served in the Senate since 2015, announced last year that he would not seek a third term in the Senate, which has set up one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 midterms.

The university said Peters will be co-director of the political center, alongside Republican strategist Mike Murphy, making it one of the only university political centers in the country jointly led by a Democrat and a Republican.

Peters, who previously taught at multiple Michigan schools, said his decision to return to higher education comes from wanting to encourage the younger generation to become more politically active.

“I look at this as a capstone of my years in public service at the local, state and federal level,” Peters said. “It’s never been more important to bring people together, and there’s no better place to start than working with students and getting them engaged in civic activism.”

The senator claimed that students right now are shying away from politics because they believe it is too toxic and that he wants to speak to students across all academic fields about how politics and public policy affect their careers and lives.

USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock praised Peters in a statement as an example of an effective leader in Congress who has worked across the political aisle.

“Gary Peters brings an extraordinary combination of public service, bipartisan leadership and real experience getting things done in Washington,” Bullock said. “He has spent his career showing that you can hold strong political convictions and still work productively with people who see the world differently. I’m especially excited about what his leadership will make possible for our students, both in Los Angeles and in Washington.”

The school said Peters will divide his time between USC's main campus in Los Angeles and its Capital Campus in Washington, D.C.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.