Houston (Aug. 13, 2019) - University of St. Thomas hosts Congressman Dan Crenshaw in a new Community Encounters speaker series that brings speakers of influence to campus to hold conversations with students and the public at large.

Crenshaw’s talk begins at 6 p.m. on Tues. Aug. 27, in Jones Hall, 4001 Mt. Vernon. This free event is open to the public with RSVP. His topic is leadership and public service.

Crenshaw, currently serves as congressional representative for the Texas 2^nd Congressional District, which includes Montrose, where University of St. Thomas is located.

A decorated veteran who survived injuries, Crenshaw was a NAVY SEAL and deployed to Iraq to join SEAL Team 3, his first of five deployments overseas. Crenshaw medically retired in 2016 as a Lieutenant Commander after serving 10 years in the SEAL Teams. He left service with two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor, among others.

Originally, from the Houston area, Crenshaw is a 6^th generation Texan. He graduated from Tufts University in 2006. He earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in 2017 and worked as a military legislative assistant for Congressman Pete Sessions.

Crenshaw, who loves to engage with students, will also hold a private Q&A for a small group of political science graduate students before the evening event and visit with the director of the Veteran Success Center. This is Crenshaw’s second visit to campus. He recently stopped by to meet with a group of veteran students and helped promote the University scholarship program “UST Rocks My Socks.”

The International Studies, Modern Languages and Political Science Department sponsors this lecture.