Noe Ortega

Noe Ortega, Ph.D., was sworn in as Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education on November 1, 2022. Since his appointment, he has led the Department of Higher Education (DHE) during a period of historic investment by the state legislature, advancing efforts to improve college affordability and student success across the Commonwealth. Under his leadership, the state launched several tuition-free college initiatives, including MassReconnect and MassEducate at community colleges, and MASSGrant Plus at public four-year universities. Prior to his role in Massachusetts, Dr. Ortega served as Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he also held the positions of Deputy Secretary and Commissioner for the Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education (OPHE). Earlier in his career, he spent eight years at the University of Michigan in a range of academic and administrative roles, and nearly a decade in Texas serving in leadership positions across public and private institutions, as well as at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, with a focus on financial aid, enrollment management, and education policy. Dr. Ortega began his career as an early education teacher and later directed a language institute in Osaka, Japan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Edward’s University, a Master of Science in School Counseling from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Policy from the University of Michigan.