Palulap Award Call for Nominations

The Palulap Medallion Award is a prestigious award presented by the Faculty Senate of the University of Guam to a member of the community of Guam who has made extraordinary contributions to the advancement, protection, and promotion of the fundamental principles of the academy for the University of Guam, including:

1. academic freedom,
2. institutional integrity,
3. institutional and individual autonomy, and
4. shared academic governance.

The award includes a medallion and a plaque, each engraved with a figure of Palulap, the legendary Micronesian navigator whose great wisdom and skill continue to inspire youthful navigators today. The award envisions the University as a flying proa being guided toward landfall by a navigator skilled and wise in the art of academic governance. The award also includes a citation that names the recipient and summarizes their extraordinary contributions. 

Nominations are solicited once every three years, but the award is only granted when the nomination clearly demonstrates an extraordinary contribution. Any number of nominations can be made, but no more than two awards may be given in any award-granting year. Nominees who are not selected may be re-nominated for consideration in the subsequent cycles. Subsequent nominations must be appropriately updated and justified each time they are submitted. The award may be granted posthumously. It is announced and presented by the Faculty Senate at the Fañomnåkan Faculty Convocation.

The deadline for submission of nominations is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

Eligibility Criteria and Submission Information