Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney will be a professor at the University of Virginia

• Former Rep. Liz Cheney is about to become a professor at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.
• The former Jan. 6 committee vice chair was defeated by a Trump-backed challenger last year.

Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming is about to become a professor at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, roughly two months after she departed Congress as one of the loudest Trump critics in the GOP.

Cheney's employment as a professor of practice at the prominent public university is set to begin immediately and will run through at least the 2023 fall semester, according to the school's press release.

In her new role, Cheney will participate in the center's research, and deliver university-wide lectures, and serve as a guest lecturer in student seminars.

"Preserving our constitutional republic is the most important work of our time, and our nation's young people will play a crucial role in this effort," Cheney said in a statement, adding that she was "delighted" to be starting the job. "I look forward to working with students and colleagues at the Center to advance the important work they and others at the University of Virginia are doing to improve the health of democracy here and around the world," said Cheney.

"There are many threats facing our system of government and I hope my work with the Center for Politics and the broader community at the University of Virginia will contribute to finding lasting solutions that not only preserve but strengthen our democracy," she added.

Jim Ryan, the university's president, said in a statement that "students will have an incredible opportunity to learn from Liz Cheney, who has fiercely defended democracy as part of a distinguished career."

The career move comes after Cheney served as Wyoming's sole congresswoman for three terms until she was defeated by Harriet Hageman, a Republican who had the backing of former President Donald Trump, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, and dozens of other prominent Republicans. Once the House's No. 3 Republican who was considered a rising star in her party, Cheney faced widespread attacks within the GOP after she blamed Trump over the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot and voted to impeach him.

After the impeachment vote, Cheney later became vice chair of the January 6 committee, which investigated the former president's role in seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The panel interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses and held a series of high-profile hearings, blaming Trump for spreading election lies and inciting the crowd that stormed the Capitol on January 6.

Upon her election loss, speculation swirled about Cheney's future political ambitions and whether she might run for president in 2024. While the former lawmaker hasn't ruled out a bid, she's repeatedly pledged to do whatever she can to prevent Trump, who has launched a 2024 campaign, from becoming president again.