Carlos E. Santiago served as the Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education from 2015-2022. He served as the State Higher Education Executive Officer (SHEEO) and was selected as the recipient of the 2021 SHEEO Exceptional Agency Award. Carlos worked closely with the leadership of the three segments of public higher education: community colleges, State Universities, and the University of Massachusetts. Prior to his appointment, Carlos was the first Puerto Rican president of a major U.S. research university when he served as the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In 2022 the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) honored him with the Alfredo de Los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award.