The university announced Monday that Cox has been named the school's Carl E. Sanders Political Leadership Scholar for the 2007 spring semester.

During the appointment, Cox will teach courses in political and election law.

UGA's associate dean for academic affairs, Paul Kurtz, says Cox will be able to give students a firsthand account of the implications and applications of the law at work.

Cox has served as secretary of state from since 1999.

A Democrat, she was defeated in her party's primary for governor by Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor, who faces Governor Perdue in next month's election.

Since then, she has raised political eyebrows by failing to publicly support Taylor. She has not campaigned with Taylor, despite lending her support to other Democrats, and her first post-primary appearance was at a ribbon-cutting with Perdue.

At that event, she would not say whom she plans to vote for in November.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)