Dr Santiago & Nassau County Executive Suozzi
A prominent advocate for advanced educational opportunities within the Hispanic community, Briarcliffe College (Bethpage, Patchogue and Long Island City campus locations) President George Santiago, Jr., Ph.D., is the recipient of two recognitions during Hispanic Heritage month.
On October 6th, Dr. Santiago received the 2009 Hispanic Heritage Award from Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and on October 24th, he will be honored as Educator of the Year during the annual gala of the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
As the first in his family to receive a college degree — followed by a masters and doctorate in educational administration — Dr. Santiago knows firsthand the benefits to higher education. Alarmed by the under representation of Hispanics in America’s colleges, Dr. Santiago has committed to reaching out, including financial support through the Briarcliffe College Hispanic Scholarship program. In the belief that community programs and organizations can help to bring the message to young adults, Dr. Santiago partners with organizations, including, among others: the Long Island Hispanic Chamber, Nassau and Suffolk County Minority Affairs departments, Adelante of Suffolk County, Inc., The Hispanic Network LLC, Hispanic Federation, La Fuerza Unida, Inc., and Fundacion Hispanoamericana, Inc. In 2008, he was a recipient of the Hispanic Heritage Award from the Suffolk County Office of Minority Affairs.
Dr. Santiago observes: “Hispanics have the lowest enrollment in colleges across America, yet this ethnic group is the most rapidly growing segment of our national population at 46.9 million according to the 2008 Census Bureau figures. The good news is that the statistics are improving. The most recent figures show the Hispanic presence has increased from 10 to 12% in colleges across the U.S and here at Briarcliffe College, we’ve gone from 9.2 percent in 2006 to 12.8 in 2008.”
Throughout his career as an educational administrator at Briarcliffe College, Montclair State University, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Rider University, and Rutgers College, and while himself a student at Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Santiago has been consistently active with matters pertaining to Hispanic students and their academic success. He has served as advisor, consultant, and presenter. Most recently he delivered a paper on initiatives that promote retention and graduation during the Hispanic Federation 2008 Annual Conference. For his expertise, Dr. Santiago has been interviewed in print and broadcast media, including Newsday, Diversity in Education, and WABC TV’s Tiempo.
