Whatever happened to Michael Dukakis

Thirteen years after his failed bid for president, Michael Dukakis is working in two arenas: academia and mass transportation.

Dukakis, the son of Greek immigrants, began his career in government as a Massachusetts state legislator. He was first elected governor in 1974. In 1988, while he was serving his third non-consecutive term, he became the Democratic presidential nominee.

Dukakis left the United States in 1991 and spent five years in Australia.

In 1998, he became vice chairman of Amtrak's new reform board. In that role, he crusades for better train service and argues that faster, more frequent trains could help eliminate congestion on the roads and in the air. "I'm a transit nut," he admits.

Today, Dukakis splits his time between Amtrak and academia. He teaches public policy at Northeastern University in Boston and UCLA. "It's hard duty, but somebody's got to do it," Dukakis jokes of his winters in California.

Dukakis says he enjoys interacting with students in the eight courses he teaches every year and encouraging them to choose jobs in the public sector.

During the 1988 presidential campaign, Dukakis got national attention - and a little ridicule - for riding in a tank. These days he prefers wearing tennis shoes to class on UCLA's campus and walks two miles to work each day at Northeastern. The former marathoner has given up running as a hobby.

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