Quick Facts on Dr. Benjamin Sasse

Born in Nebraska
Earns bachelor’s from Harvard and master’s from St. John’s
Earns Ph.D. in American political history, strategy, and management from Yale
Wins both the Theron Rockwell Field Prize and George Washington Egleston Prize for his doctoral dissertation on conservative politics during the Cold War
Begins career doing corporate strategy with the Boston Consulting Group
Since 9/11 works primarily in Washington, including as a chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Policy
As a consultant, works with a wide variety of organizations at moments of strategic crisis, including airlines, utilities, major manufacturers, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and a number of nonprofit and educational institutions
Hired as a UT Austin assistant professor in 2004, where he teaches such courses as social entrepreneurship and education reform, U.S. policy history, and religious nonprofits and public policy
Serves as counselor for policy and strategic initiatives to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt while on a leave of absence from the LBJ School
Nominated by President Bush as assistant secretary of health and human services, pending Senate confirmation. Duties would include overseeing day-to-day operations and a team of 110 policymakers