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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – Carlos Santiago, retired commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, will be the honorary degree recipient at Salem State University’s College of Arts and Sciences/McKeown School of Education commencement exercises this May.
Santiago will address graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences/McKeown School of Education commencement exercises on Saturday, May 17 at 10 am. The event is the third set of exercises to be held as part of commencement weekend, with two ceremonies also planned for Friday, May 16.
Santiago served close to 10 years in the state’s Department of Higher Education. He joined the organization in April of 2013 to take on the role of senior deputy commissioner for Academic Affairs. He was elevated to commissioner in July of 2015, and he continued to serve the role to his retirement in December of 2023. In 2023, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education awarded Santiago the honorary title of Commissioner Emeritus of the state’s Department of Higher Education.
The first Puerto Rican president of a major U.S. research university, Santiago previously served as the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and has also served as provost, vice president for academic affairs and chief operating officer at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). He was named a Collins Fellow at UAlbany in 1996. Santiago holds two master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Puerto Rico and Cornell University, as well as a PhD in Economics from Cornell.
An indicator of his impact in education, the conference of his honorary degree at Salem State will be his fourth. Previously, Santiago received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Framingham State University in 2018, and two honorary doctorates in 2022: public service, from Bridgewater State University, and public policy, from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He also received a similar honor as recipient of the President’s Distinguished Service Award at Bunker Hill Community College in 2019.
“Commissioner Emeritus Santiago held a strong belief and passion that every child, regardless of ZIP code, has the same opportunity for a bright future through the power of education. This conviction provided the basis for the Commonwealth’s Equity Agenda, and for us, the basis and motivation for becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution and elevating the quality of education for all,” Salem State University President John Keenan said. “He was truly a founding father of the Commonwealth’s laser focus on closing equity gaps. For that, we are thrilled to be able to honor him as this year’s honorary degree recipient.”
As demographics around New England shift and more Hispanic and Latino students enroll in higher education, Santiago said regional universities and community colleges are uniquely positioned – and therefore have an obligation – to champion the power of social and economic mobility a degree provides.
“Massachusetts is faced with a unique moment as it serves the demography enrolling in higher education: how do we ensure more students, particularly students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, can succeed at the rates everyone else is succeeding?” Santiago said. “Salem State University is an institution that’s stepping up to the challenge. For that and more, I’m honored to be receiving a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Salem State University’s commencement exercises this spring.”
Santiago will speak at the College of Arts and Sciences/McKeown School of Education Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 17 at 10 am. Ceremonies for the Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services, Bertolon School of Business and other College of Arts and Science programs will be held on Friday, May 15.
All ticketed commencement exercises are hosted in the Richard B. O’Keefe Sports Complex at 225 Canal St., as well as broadcast live. For more information, please visit salemstate.edu/commencement.