Skip to content

Palau President and UW Alum Johnson Toribiong Visits With Pacific Islander Community

On the eve of receiving a distinguished alumni award from the University of Washington’s School of Law, Palau President Johnson Toribiong visited with the UW Pacific Islander campus community at the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity’s Ethnic Cultural Center Theater, on Wednesday, May 12.

The event highlighted the growth of the UW Pacific Islander community and featured performances and presentations by Pacific Islander student organizations and leaders. Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity, Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange, provided welcome remarks. A blessing was performed by Julian Argel, Assistant to the Vice President on Tribal Relations and Talent Search Director, and Chasmon Tarimel, the only Palauan student on the UW campus, performed a Palauan chant for the President.  

Among the student groups and organizations that participated in the event were the Filipino American Student Association, the Polynesian Student Alliance, the Micronesian Islands Club, Pacific Islander Partnerships in Education, the PIONEER Pre-College Program, the Pacific Islander Student Commission and the Northwest Association of Pacific Americans. Each student group and organization offered President Toribiong with a special gift following its performance or presentation. The program concluded with some remarks from the President and was followed by a reception at the Ethnic Cultural Center.

President Toribiong (’72, ’73) is a double degree-holder from the UW School of Law. He was sworn into office as Palau’s seventh president on Jan. 15, 2009. He is a former ambassador of Palau to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and co-founder of the firm Toribiong and Coughlin. His traveling delegation included his wife and other family members, the Palauan Ambassador to the United States, the Palauan Ambassador to the United Nations, two senators, a press secretary and his special assistant.

Click here to view photos from the event

Download this article