Carlos E. Santiago

Carlos Enrique Santiago (born December 7, 1952) is a Puerto Rican American labor economist and the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (MDHE). Previously he was the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and the chief executive officer of the Hispanic College Fund.

Santiago is the author or co-author of six books and has published articles and book reviews, many of which focus on economic development and the changing socioeconomic status of Latinos in the United States. In 1996 and 2011, Santiago was named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States by Hispanic Business magazine.

Background Santiago was born and raised in Puerto Rico.

Santiago received a B.A. from the University of Miami, an M.A. from the University of Puerto Rico, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell University, all in economics. He was a Ford Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Economics and Economic Growth Center at Yale University.

He is a labor economist with expertise in the Caribbean and Central America regions, with a special emphasis on Puerto Rico. He was chair of the Department of Latin American & Caribbean Studies at the University at Albany from 1989 to 1991 and from 1993 to 1995. He is a founding co-editor of Latino Research Review and is a member of the U.S. Congressional Hispanic Caucus International Relations Advisory Group.

Santiago was twice named by Hispanic magazine as one of the United States' "100 most influential Hispanics". before resigning to take the post at the Hispanic College Fund.

Santiago joined the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in April 2013 as the senior deputy commissioner for academic affairs. In May 2023, Governor Charlie Baker nominated him to serve as commissioner, and the board unanimously confirmed him to serve in the position beginning at the start of July 2015 (after Richard M. Freeland's tenure was scheduled to end). At the start of 2022, Santiago announced his intentions to step down in June 2022.

Personal life A week after moving to Massachusetts in 2013, Santiago watched the 2013 Boston Marathon from a building near the finish line, and witnessed the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.