The UP Board at its 1413th meeting on Oct. 26, appointed Neil Martial R. Santillan, PhD as the 11th dean of the UP Diliman (UPD) College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP). Santillan is a professor at the Department of History (DHist).
Santillan served the University in various capacities. Santillan was CSSP associate dean for administration and external affairs (2010 – 2014), UPD vice chancellor for student affairs (2014 – 2016), DHist chair (2017 – 2023), and Office of International Linkages Diliman project development associate for faculty and staff mobility (2025 – 2026).
Santillan also served as chairperson of the National Committee on Historical Research of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA; 2023 – 2025).
As CSSP dean, Santillan plans to include safe and modern spaces for the college constituents; higher funding and development plans for faculty, staff, and students; databases for research outputs and opportunities; and inter-university cooperation on academic program improvement.
Santillan’s fields of interest are film history, contemporary Philippine history, history of Mindanao, and studies on youth volunteerism. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in History (2009), Master of Arts in History (1998), and Bachelor of Arts in History, magna cum laude (1993) from UPD.
He received the UP CSSP Award for Student Leadership (1993), NCCA Young Historian’s Prize (2009), and University Press of First Asia Most Outstanding Reviewer and Consultant (2013).
Santillan will serve as CSSP dean from 26 Oct. 2026 to 25 Oct. 2029.