Higher Ed Commissioner Santiago to Speak at BCC Commencement
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Commissioner of Higher Education Carlos Santiago will be the keynote speaker at Berkshire Community College's 57th commencement.
Santiago was appointed to his position by Gov. Charlie Baker in July 2015. Working with the Board of Higher Education, he is responsible for providing overall direction to public higher education in Massachusetts and helping shape state-level policies that maximize the benefits of higher education to the commonwealth and its citizens. Santiago joined the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in April 2013 as the senior deputy commissioner for academic affairs.
"On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and board of trustees at Berkshire Community College, we are thrilled to have Commissioner Santiago as our 2017 commencement speaker. He is a true champion for higher education both in Massachusetts and beyond," said BCC President Ellen Kennedy.
"As the former CEO of the Hispanic College Fund, Commissioner Santiago worked to provide access and resources for career and educationally driven Hispanics. We see striking similarities in the work we do at BCC in providing access to higher education for residents in the Berkshires."
Santiago has more than 30 years of experience in public higher education. He previously was chancellor of the University of Wisconsin and provost and chief operating officer at the University of Albany. He was a professor of economics at both universities and earned his doctorate from Cornell University.
Santiago is also the author or co-author of six books and has published dozens of articles and book reviews, many of which focus on economic development and the changing socioeconomic status of Latinos in the United States. On two separate occasions, in 1996 and 2011, Santiago was named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States by Hispanic Business magazine.
The commencement will be held on Friday, June 2, at 4:30 p.m. at Tanglewood in Lenox. The event is free and open to the public.
Tags: BCC, commencement, graduation 2017,
